At the end of every summer, children in our local community are beginning their race toward educational success … a full mile away from the starting line.
When a family is living paycheck to paycheck, children learn to make do with what they have — even if that means returning to school without the supplies they need. It’s not just about paper, pens or backpacks — it’s about giving the gift of opportunity in school, and life, that many children will not receive otherwise.
Seeking to serve the needs of the whole person — mind, body and spirit, Faith Fellowship Baptist Church in Lansing, Michigan, joined forces with the Eastside Community Action Center, and the ladies of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority in a community outreach Sept. 11 with a mobile clinic and food.
“We also distributed backpacks we had purchased and filled with school supplies,” said Pastor Stan Parker, who also is the current president of the Michigan African American Fellowship. “It was a great example of everybody working together to help serve the community (1 Corinthians 12:12-27), and proof that a grass-roots initiative has the power to transform lives by reaching and uplifting the most vulnerable.
Easing the burden
“We were able to help ease the burden for so many local families by showing the love of Jesus Christ. We provided some spiritual tracts with an invitation to connect with Jesus Christ.”
A total of 75 backpacks were distributed to students from nine public schools and a community college.
“To some it may seem like just a backpack, but we know that real social change happens when we go outside our own walls and equip tomorrow’s leaders with what they need to succeed for mind, body and Spirit,” Parker said.
EDITOR’S NOTE — This story originally appeared in the Baptist Beacon, the newsjournal of the Baptist State Convention of Michigan.
