For almost 20 years, OPPC has helped to provide food insecure Carmel Clay elementary students with breakfasts, lunches and snacks on weekends and during school breaks. This year, OPPC confirmands and their families, young families and other OPPC members came together in late February to sort and stuff food bags for more than 230 school children’s breakfasts and lunches for the 5 weekends in March. Offerings included juice, cereal, Chef Boyardee meal cups, chicken noodle soup, mac & cheese, applesauce, Cheez-its, granola bars, popcorn, crackers, fruit snacks and trail mix. The bags were then delivered to Carmel Clay elementary schools in early March to be distributed.
The number of children served this year was greater than in previous years. In addition to donations by individual members, the Mission Committee approved over $1,700 to make sure all the children received ample meals. As we continue to focus on the church-wide initiative of food insecurity, we can be assured that filling the bellies of at-risk school children improves their physical and mental health, as well as their academic achievement.
