A collaborative effort between local churches earlier this month resulted in nearly 21,000 individual meals for backpack programs packed for area school children.
Organizers said Aug. 8, the Belle Center United Presbyterian Church came together with friends from the Bellefontaine First Presbyterian Church, the Belle Center Church of Christ and the Belle Center United Methodist Church for the event at the Belle Center United Methodist Church’s Activity Building. Other like-minded individuals also joined in from Union, Hardin and Logan Counties.
The meals (in packets of six rice and bean individual meals and packets of eight oatmeal individual meals) will be distributed to local school districts Benjamin Logan, Indian Lake, North Union, Ridgemont, Riverside and Upper Scioto Valley backpack programs.
The ministry day was made possible through a partnership with Rob McCabe of Lifeline Christian Mission of Westerville and Mark Boyer of Shine FM in Bellefontaine.
Lifeline Christian Mission provided the product and equipment to pack the meals. Shine FM offered advertising and music during the event. One family from Marysville mentioned that they participated as a direct result of Shine FM’s radio promotion.
“A member of the family expressed a desire to help feed school kids and her mother heard about the event on ShineFM the following day. They were welcomed participants on Saturday,” organizers said.
“The church would like to thank all the participants, the folks that prayed for us and the folks who donated money to help defray expenses.”
All participants followed COVID-19 directives and safe food-handling directives.
If your organization would like to participate in the creation of meals with Lifeline Christian Mission or participate as an individual at the Lifeline Christian Mission in Westerville, contact Rob McCabe at rob.mccabe.