Johnstown, PA (Oct. 23, 2014) – When Emmanuel Baptist Church selected the Johnstown Backpack Project as a recipient of its annual Give, Gather, Go project, no one could have anticipated the level of generosity that resulted.
On Wednesday, church members delivered hundreds of bags and boxes of single-serve, ready to eat foods for hungry children in Johnstown—enough to fill a 15-passenger van or about 128 square feet!
The donation is the culmination of a 7-week, all-church Bible study that included a segment on service and love. Helping to feed needy children on weekends when they don’t have access to school meals was a natural fit.
“We had some individuals from Emmanuel Baptist who came down and packed bags for the Backpack Project in the spring so we were familiar with the program,” explained Candi Johnson, small group director at Emmanuel Baptist. “It seemed like a good fit for the Gather part of Give, Gather, Go so we spread the word and the response was amazing.”
The church’s contribution of food to the Backpack Project was only part of its call to serve others. The Give portion of the project raised more than $7,000 toward the purchase of blocks for a security wall for Hold the Children, a ministry serving orphans in Haiti. The Go segment sent church members into the community to deliver a variety of personal service projects ranging from visiting shut-ins to packing bags for the Backpack Project.
“We want to help people and reach out into the community. Give, Gather, Go is a way to put our faith into action,” added Johnson.
According to the most recent Pennsylvania Youth Survey, one in 10 children in grades 6-12 in Cambria County worries that his/her family will run out of food before pay day.The Johnstown Backpack Project provides more than 300 children six complete meals every weekend throughout the school year.
“We were shocked when we saw how much food Emmanuel Baptist collected. The people there have truly embraced the mission of the Johnstown Backpack Project and the children we serve,” said Emily Wentworth, coordinator of the Johnstown Backpack Project.
For more information on the Johnstown Backpack Project, visit the Project’s Facebook page at facebook.com/johnstownbackpackproject.
The Johnstown Backpack Project is a collaborative effort of ACRP, Beginnings, Inc., Cambria City Mission, CEM: Johnstown, Christ Centered Community Church, Jefferson Memorial Church, The Learning Lamp, Mom’s House and Trojan Learning Centers of the Greater Johnstown School District.
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