Florence United Methodist Church has collaborated with Boone County Schools to fight child hunger for the past five academic years.
On Saturday at 9:30 a.m., the Florence church plans to pack its 10,000th Power Pack during its semi-annual “Love Thy Neighborhood” Day of Service event.
A Power Pack is a bag of food items that helps children have access to food over the weekend.
Bags are distributed through four local schools each week of the academic year: Erpenbeck Elementary, New Haven Elementary, Yealey Elementary and Ockerman Middle School.
Currently 90 bags are distributed by Florence UMC each week.
“My daughter loves to see which cereal is in the bag each week and it helps to fill gaps in our budget,” says one mom whose child receives a weekly Power Pack.
Florence UMC works with Family Resource Center staff and school counselors to distribute the bags to children they feel will benefit. As need continues to increase in the community, more bags are supplied to recipient schools. Florence UMC purchases food and has its members, youth group and Boy Scout Pack pack the bags throughout the year so they are ready for weekly deliveries.
Florence UMC has funded this program from donations received from the congregation and the community since launching the ministry in 2013.
Timeline of events:
9:30-9:50 a.m. Volunteers arrive and are assigned duties
9:50-10:20 a.m. Packing of Power Packs for school children.
Volunteers are welcome.
Florence United Methodist Church is a United Methodist congregation that has been “Touching Lives…making a difference” for 175 years at 8585 Old Toll Road, Florence. See more at www.FlorenceUMC.com
Happy volunteering — to feed hungry kids — and making a difference.
