This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Community Corner

"Blessings In A Backpack" -- Feeding Needy Children in Fairfax County -- Needs Your Help!

Many children receive free or reduced price school lunches, but how do those children eat on the weekends? Blessings in a Backpack (BIB) is the answer! 

BIB is a nationally recognized 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.  I am starting a chapter of BIB in Fairfax, and the first school I have identified as needing assistance is Crestwood Elementary School in Springfield.  As I raise more funds, I plan to expand to assist children in other Fairfax County schools. 

Beginning this school year, I will work with this school to provide a "backpack" of food for needy children to take home at the end of the week, so that they do not go hungry on the weekend.  At this point we have the "green light" in all areas except desperately needed funds for the groceries!

This link explains how BIB works:  
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ykwewpvWOj8

Each week, a volunteer does the shopping and stuffing of backpacks, and delivers to the school. The school counselors hand out the food to qualifying students.

This is a grass roots effort! Your neighbors are the ones helping fund and staff this initiative, and the child sitting next to you in church or sitting next to your child on the bus might be one who is helped by our efforts. 

It only costs about $80 per child to cover weekend lunches for them for the school year.  Could you sponsor one child?

For more information go to the national website: www.blessingsinabackpack.org

Find out what's happening in Burkewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

To donate online at the above site, click on the red box on the right that says “Give Money”.  IMPORTANT:  To be sure your money goes to Crestwood Elementary and the Fairfax County program, you must check the "other" box in the ”designate“ section and  then type in “Crestwood Elementary – VA” in the box.  (There is another Crestwood Elementary School in the program, so be sure to designate “VA”.)


PLEASE HELP A CHILD IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD and donate to this worthy cause! 

Find out what's happening in Burkewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?