A local charity organization is asking for help from the community with two major needs. Huntington County Blessings in a Backpack provides food for hundreds of Huntington County school children each weekend throughout the school year, and the organization is currently in need of extra volunteers, as well as a new space for their food storage and bag packing.

Currently, Blessings in a Backpack calls Life Church home. It was announced via Facebook on Jan. 4 that the charity was looking for help finding a new space, as they had been informed from the church that “they have decided to enter into different ministries in the space they have so graciously let us use over the last several years” and that while they had not been given an exact date they needed to vacate the space, they needed to have a new space by the end of the current school year.

“Since our start in January 2011, we have grown so much that this current facility was just about as small as we could be in,” the post continued. “So, we are in search of a new facility to host us by June 2022 in order for us to transfer all of the current supplies we have now to a new facility.”

The current facility features a temperature-controlled, 33’x27’ floor plan with 15’ high ceilings and 24 hour access. The space also has a loading dock as well as multiple shelving units to hold the food items.

“We can work with what we can get at this point, but are looking for something a bit larger,” Craig Johnson, a longtime leader of the organization, said. “It needs to have wide enough doors to move food in on pallets easily and needs to be able to maintain at least a 50 degree temperature.” Johnson adds that 24-hour access would be nice, but is not a deal breaker. Rather, the most important thing is that groups would have access to pick up and deliver the totes full of food, and that an area would be available to pack bags every week or two. According to the Jan. 4 Facebook post, the organization is looking for a 50’x50’ facility with a ceiling height of at least 15’.

Anyone who has a space available or knows of an available facility that the organization could move into is invited to contact Johnson at 433-9854, or contact any committee member for Blessings in a Backpack.

Prior to the organization requesting help to find a new facility, there was also a call put out for volunteers. In the fall of 2021, a proclamation was signed to recognize the work that Blessings in a Backpack does for the community, and volunteer Sharon Pulver shared that volunteers were needed for a variety of jobs. They are looking for new committee members, tote delivery to the schools as well as to lead packing sessions.

According to Pulver, leaders for packing sessions were traditionally students in seventh grade through 12th grade, and the organization “would like to get that demographic involved again.” Packing sessions typically last 45 minutes to 1.5 hours depending on the number of weeks worth of food that is packed at once. These leaders would volunteer three to four times a year.

Tote delivery involves bringing the totes of food from the packing facility to the respective elementary schools. The commitment is no more than one hour a week.

New committee members would assist in organizing food drives at school athletic events, assist with mentoring youth leaders and to assist with food ordering. Monthly meetings are also included, as well as up to one hour per week of volunteer time. Meetings are typically Tuesday evenings and packing nights can be any day of the week.

Another challenge the organization has faced recently has been brought on by COVID-19. Due to shortages and supply chain issues, the organization has struggled with purchasing food in bulk as they need. Thanks to the Community Harvest Food Bank they have been able to get some items in bulk, but there are still items that they do not always have available for their menu.

Traditionally, bags of food that are delivered to students are comprised of easy-to-open and easy-to-prepare items so that children can make a meal or snack on their own if need be. Examples include peanut butter and jelly, packs of ramen, cereal bars, popcorn, canned vegetables and/or fruit and macaroni and cheese, along with other similar items. Groups who are interested in organizing a food drive for Blessings in a Backpack may do so by contacting biabhuntingtonco@gmail.com.

Some volunteers have shared the way that Blessings in a Backpack has impacted their lives. Their responses include the following:

“Helping children brings joy to my life. We can all make the world a little brighter for someone by sharing our blessings.” – Helen Williams.

“ Volunteering for (Blessings) has allowed me to meet new people and be a part of a fun group that is making our community a better place. It makes me so happy to see the large groups of people who come together to donate, pack and deliver the food, but the most rewarding part of all is when we hear feedback from the children. Knowing how grateful they are for the food they receive makes it all worth it.” – Missy Eherenman.

“I feel it is important to give back to our community. Blessings in a Backpack is a good way to teach my teens that life isn’t all about them and that at any age, you can put in a few hours of time and work to make a big difference in someone’s life. It is also educational for them to learn the inner workings of volunteer programs. Volunteering has taught them to overcome adversity when COVID made it more difficult to purchase and deliver food. Also, how communities do come together to help others, especially during COVID when we had to organize large packings and the school system assisted in transporting food using bus drivers.” – Dana Meyer, adult committee member who also serves with her son, Ethan Meyer.

“Blessings in a Backpack is unique in that our organization is ran with 100 percent volunteer hours. We have no paid staff and 100 percent of our budget goes to the expenses related to purchasing food and the needed food transport totes and bags. Every volunteer contributes time as they care about the mission of feeding children each weekend. When I started volunteering, I had busy high schoolers, but was able to just volunteer a few hours a year. The time commitment was doable. As my children are now out of the house, I have more time to give but want potential volunteers to know that even for just six to eight hours a year, you can make a difference and service your community. I also feel God has called us to love our neighbors and by helping pack and deliver this food, you show love to children and their families in need in Huntington.” – Sharon Pulver.

The future goal for Blessings in a Backpack in Huntington County is to feed 100 percent of the children on the free lunch program at Horace Mann, Andrews, Flint Springs, Salamonie and Lincoln elementary schools. Roanoke Elementary School students are served by a church in the Roanoke area.

“We would like to continue to improve the quality of the menu items including more protein or whole grains, but we are limited by the budget we have in place,” Pulver added. “If specific corporations were willing to donate the cost of a new menu item, we could start to incorporate that item weekly or monthly.”

Anyone who would like to make a monetary contribution may send donations to: Blessings in a Backpack of Huntington County 1515 N. Jefferson St., Huntington, IN 46750.