Backpack Buddies - Our Quest to Help End Childhood Hunger in Loudoun County

A few weeks ago, Ute Gil and I had the opportunity to represent St.Matthew's at the 2nd Annual Backpack Buddies Workshop, hosted by Galilee United Methodist Church.  There were over 60 attendees from across the county, representing backpack buddies programs, schools, companies and parents.  I also attended the same workshop one year ago, and was amazed at how the program has grown across the county.  I wanted to share some statistics that came out at this meeting.  Some are estimates based on the best information available.

• There are 82 public schools in Loudoun County, with ~69,279 students
• There are 8,942 students (or 12.91%) students eligible for free lunch
• There are 11,911 students (or 17.19%) students eligible for free or reduced lunch

Do these numbers look out of whack to anyone else?  17% of our students in Loudoun County are eligible for the  free and reduced lunch program in one of the richest counties in the country? This certainly is shocking to me.  Here is another shocking number.  Current estimates show that there are ~1,000 children in Loudoun County that are classified as homeless under the McKinney-Vento Act.  WOW!

So what happens to these kids over the weekend?  Honestly, we don't know.  Some go to home, where there may or may not be enough food for the weekend, some go to others' homes and some go to shelters. I hate to think about the other possibility..the street.  So what happens to these kids when they return to school on Monday.  Here are some facts from SHARE OUR STRENGH: No Kid Hungry:

• Children who struggle with hunger are sick more often, recover more slowly, and are more likely to be hospitlaized
• They are more likely to experience headaches, stomachaches, colds, ear infections and fatigue
• Lack of enough nutrious food impairs's a child's ability to concentrate and peform well in school
• Children who regularly do not get enough nutrious food to eat have significantly higher levels of behavioral, emotional and academic problems and can be more agressive and anxious
• Teens who regularly do not get enough to eat are more likely to be suspended from school and have difficulty getting along with other kids

These are strong consequences not only for the child that suffers from hunger, but for schools and the community. Currently about 60% of the LCPS have backpack buddies programs supported by local churches, businesses and individuals, covering about 23% of the need (~2,000 of the 8,942 students are in the program). There is so much more need out there.  Every few weeks we receive a request to support more students or additional schools.  

So what can we do? Simply stated, we need to get involved. If every able family in Loudoun County sponsored a child through backpack buddies ($25/month) or donated to a local food bank on a regular basis, these hunger issues would not persist. The problem with hunger is that it's ongoing..doesn't stop after the holidays, for weekends, etc. So our support and involvement needs to also be ongoing.

What can I do to make a difference..do you ever wonder?

2013 Outreach Goals

 
If you've read my previous posts, you know that my ultimate goal for Outreach at St.Matt's is to ENGAGE as many people as possible.  For me this means involving more people, within St.Matt's and in the community. So when setting 2013's detailed goals, we kept this at the forefront.  I wanted to share the 3 specific goals we have for Outreach this year, keeping in mind that we fully intend to support and grow our existing programs such as ACTS, Backpackpack Buddies, LINK, etc...

1) 2nd Saturdays at St. Matt's - On the 2nd Saturday of selected months, we will provide a hot, nutritious meal to the community. There will be no charge, however, donations to support Outreach will always be accepted.  We will include an ELL class, babysitting and activities for the kids. Plans are underway to have our first 2nd Saturday Dinner on April 13.  Dinner will be 4:30-6:30pm.  ELL classes are scheduled for 5:30-7pm.

2) Youth Outreach Band - We believe music can spread a lot of joy.  We also know that we have a ton of talented youth at St. Matt's.  We want to bring those talents together with outreach, to go out into the community as never before.  If you have a youth in your family that would be interested, please email me at Abbrennan2@gmail.com.

3) 200+ Average Page Views of this Blog - Communication is so important in reaching goals and growing any ministry.  We know we cannot reach everyone on Sunday morning.  If we can get 200+ people reading this blog on a regular basis, then I know we are getting the word out.  So please, sign up for email updates or better yet, contact me at Abbrennan2@gmail.com and ask me to include you on the email updates of this blog.  I'd love to know who is out there!

Thanks for your support of our mission in 2013!!! 
Annette

Annual Community Easter Egg Hunt

I'm so excited about Spring at St. Matthew's.  There are so many fabulous ways to get involved. One of my favorites is the Annual Community Easter Egg Hunt that we host at Briar Patch Park.  This year we will have it on Saturday, March 23. The event will run 10:30am - 12:30pm and will include 2 Easter Egg Hunts for various age groups from 0-10.  We will have our resident Easter Bunny on site, engaging the children and passing out treats. Matt Harmon will be taking professional pictures which will be distributed the week after the event.  My team leader, Nancy Yahner, will sponsor a professional face painter once again...always a hug hit! And there will be crafts, games and more....

Beginning the week of February 24, we will be collecting individually wrapped candy.  So please pick up a few bags next time you are at the store. We could also use plastic eggs to fill, since many of them go home with the kids each year.  And most of all, we would love to have you volunteer the day of the event.  We need lots of people to make this a successful event!  We will start setting up at 8:30 that Saturday morning.  I will have sign-up sheets in the Parish Hall on February 24.  Thanks as always.  Please contact me at abbrennan2@gmail.com if you have any questions.

  

2013 - ENGAGE!

This year's Outreach theme is "Engage".  I'd like to see as many people at St. Matthew's engaged in the lives of as many people in the community as possible.  So we need to think big!  To find out more and participate in planning our new Outreach initiatives, please come out this Thursday evening at 7:30pm.  I hope to see you there!

Great News for Jessica and her family!!!

In December, the St.Matt's family came together with the community to raise funds at the Community Toy Sale for the Choe family, who had just weeks before found out their 7yo daughter Jessica had lymphoma.  Since that time, Jessica has been undergoing weekly chemo treatments.  This week, her PET scan showed no signs of cancer. Jessica will still have 2 months of chemo, but this is wonderful news for Jessica and the Choe family.  Please continue to pray for them as Jessica continues to heal and recover.

St. Matthew's Outreach - A New Year - A New Blog

Hi Friends!

I've been thinking about the best way to communicate all the wonderful Outreach happenings at St. Matt's.  We announce events on Facebook and at weekly services, yet there is never enough time or space for everything.  So I've decided to start an Outreach Blog.  I'd love to include as many people that want would like to be included, so please share with your friends.  Also, I'd love your input on our current Outreach programs along with ideas for new programs or activities.  I feel like there is always room for growth in this area.  Thanks for all of your support.  I am continuously amazed at how much the people at St. Matt's can accomplish.  I can always be reached on my phone at 703-304-2305 or my email at Abbrennan2@gmail.com.

Warmly,
Annette Brennan
Outreach Vestry

Backpack Buddies -

Today we packed 90+ bags  in a little over 30 minutes.  Thanks so much Ute, Maria , Leslie, Jenn, Marla and everyone else that came out.  We are serving over 100 kids per week at 3 schools, so the ongoing support has been wonderful. Please see the Backpack Buddies page for ongoing food needs.