Home - Backpacks of Love  

 

   

 

 

Backpacks of Love is a ministry serving children and their families who are homeless or otherwise in severe need. Homelessness is becoming a much more visible, prevalent problem in suburban areas like northern Metro Atlanta. Forsyth County, one of Georgia’s wealthier counties as measured by per capita income, just conducted its first ever survey of the homeless population.

 

Homeless children and youth, as defined by federal law, include the following:

 

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those who are sharing the housing of others due to loss of housing, economic hardship, or a similar reason;

 

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children and youth who live in motels, hotels, trailer parks, or camping grounds due to the lack of alternative adequate accommodations;

 

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those who live in emergency or transitional shelters;

 

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children and youth awaiting foster care placement;

 

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children and youth living in cars, parks, public spaces, abandoned buildings, substandard housing, bus or train stops, or similar settings;

 

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and, children who, because parents are guardians are migrant workers, live in temporary housing circumstances such as what is described above.

 

 

 

Backpacks of Love by the Numbers

 

Since its founding in 2011, Backpacks of Love has supplied . . .

52,000 pounds of food, school supplies and other essential items in 2,300 backpacks. . .

Approximately 180 individual sponsors contributed to this ministry . . .

The estimated dollar value of goods delivered was almost $62,000.

 

 

Homeless children who are hungry often do poorly in school due to physical and emotional problems. Backpacks of Love seeks not only to address the physical need of hunger, but to improve a child’s health, performance in school, conduct, and self-esteem from knowing that others in this world they may never meet care about them and their livelihood.

 

Families in need are identified by school counselors and social workers, but their identity remains confidential. Backpacks of Love receives family numbers with a few anonymous details such as family size and age of children. Sponsors are assigned to an individual student and their family, shop  for that assigned family, and pack a backpack. Backpacks are tagged which is delivered to the school. Backpacks are distributed to assigned families by school personnel, and empty backpacks are returned to the school to be reused.

 

This ministry was started through St. Aidan’s Episcopal Church in January 2011 with a delivery of 11 backpacks to Piney Grove Middle School in Cumming. Since that time, we have added eight different schools in Forsyth and Fulton Counties to those we serve:

 

Forsyth County

Fulton County

Midway Elementary

Mimosa Elementary

Shiloh Point Elementary

Hembree Springs Elementary

Big Creek Elementary

Manning Oaks Elementary

Piney Grove Middle

Elkins Pointe Middle

South Forsyth Middle

 

 

 

In 2012 we also began delivering food, clothing, and other needed items to Jesse’s House, a shelter for adolescent women located in Forsyth County.

In addition to food items, Backpacks of Love has responded to other needs as well. At the beginning of the year we provide school supplies in brand new backpacks for the students we serve. Additionally, school social workers give us guidance on families that may have particular, often emergency needs which we might be able to meet. We have supplied books for reading days, conducted two virtual baby showers to supply expectant mothers recovering from homelessness, partnered with St. Joseph’s Food Pantry (a ministry of St. Brendan’s Catholic Church) to supply food over the summer to families of Piney Grove Middle School, and conducted a holiday gift card drive for Jesse’s House which raised almost $1,300. In addition, Backpacks of Love was also named by Mimosa Elementary School as its Partner of the Year, and received a $500 grant for backpack purchases from the Piney Grove Middle School PTSA.

Backpacks of Love operates entirely almost entirely through the stewardship of its sponsors and volunteer labor. Over 180 individual sponsors serve by filling backpacks of food, school supplies, or by making other donations. Three different churches, St. Aidan’s Episcopal Church, Episcopal Church of the Holy Spirit, and St. Columba’s Episcopal Church, have an organized effort within their churches to assemble sponsors and donations. Additionally, individuals from a variety of area churches, including Johns Creek Baptist Church, First Redeemer Church, North Point Community Church, and Browns Bridge Community Church, are active sponsors.

While Backpacks of Love was started and is largely driven by individuals from several Christian denominations, this organization asks nothing from those it serves. We do not know their names or identities. We only seek to serve Christ through our service to those in severe need.

Backpacks of Love expects to receive 501(c)(3) status early in 2013 as an independent non-profit entity incorporated in the State of Georgia.

For further information on Backpacks of Love, please contact John Ray at lovingbackpacks@gmail.com.


 

 


13560 Cogburn Road    ::    Alpharetta, GA  30004    ::    Office - 770.521.0207    Fax - 770.521.0208    ::    office@staidans.org


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