By Alisha Tuttle
For some children in the Tri-Town area, the meals they receive at school may be the most reliable food they have all week. When the weekend arrives, however, many students face the possibility of going without adequate food.
The Ladies Community Prayer Group’s Backpack Ministry is working to close that gap, currently serving roughly 244 children across five local schools.
“We get our information through the guidance counselors,” said Beverly Atkins, one of the ministry’s leaders. “They know which kids need the food.”
Each week, volunteers pack grocery bags with easy-to-prepare foods including canned pasta, macaroni and cheese, ramen noodles, oatmeal, grits, crackers, fruit cups or applesauce, pudding, and — once a month — peanut butter.
The bags are delivered to Cedar Grove Elementary, Palmetto Elementary, West Pelzer Elementary, Palmetto Middle School, and Palmetto High School, where counselors distribute them to students.
“Some of these kids truly face empty pantries and empty bellies over the weekend,” said volunteer Kelly Wright.
The ministry operates through donations, grants, churches, and volunteers who give their time to pack and deliver food.
“At one point we got down real low, extremely low,” Atkins said. “West Pelzer Elementary School has given us a tremendous amount of food. The teachers there immediately saw the need.”
In addition to the weekly food bags, the ministry provides special Christmas bags filled with items such as a blanket, toys, games or puzzles, toothbrushes, toothpaste, and candy.
“We have one man that for several years has made sure we have enough Matchbox cars,” Atkins said. “And he donates that.”
“It alleviates some of their stress and financial hardships too,” Wright said. “We need to come together as a community and make sure that is sustained.”
The Ladies Community Prayer Group meets on the first Tuesday of each month at 10 a.m. at the Palmetto Baptist Association office in Williamston and welcomes new members interested in serving.
For children who rely on school meals, a simple bag of food can mean the difference between hunger and nourishment. Community members who wish to donate food, funds, or volunteer time can help ensure that no child goes without when the weekend arrives. For more information or to support the Backpack Ministry, contact Beverly Atkins at 864-940-1479.
