Dunnellon Presbyterian lives Matthew 25

One way Dunnellon Presbyterian Church lives Matthew 25 is by feeding children at Dunnellon Elementary School who might otherwise go hungry.

Church member Carolyn Garren has delivered peanut butter and jelly to Interfaith Emergency Shelter in Ocala for the Food 4 Kids backpack program for about five years. The peanut butter and jelly serves kids from both Romeo and Dunnellon elementary schools. Unfortunately, there were 42 children from Dunnellon Elementary who found themselves on a waiting list for the last nine weeks of school.

Garren, a retired nurse, said her heart sank when she heard about the kids because, “I get joy out of knowing children are fed and hopefully their lives are enriched somehow.”

The IES backpack program was created to provide food for at-risk children who qualify for free school breakfasts and lunches. Guidance counselors provide referrals for children to receive a backpack. Food 4 Kids then fills each backpack with enough food for each child in the household to enjoy six weekend meals, including two breakfasts, two lunches, and two dinners. Schools provide breakfast and lunch during the week.

Program Manager Dani Fee said it came to the attention of one principal in 2004 that many children did not have adequate meals to tide them over the weekends.

“Our mission is to help feed children who face food insecurity over the weekend. Hunger is a barrier to learning and can interfere with a child’s ability to focus and regulate stress.” Fee said. “When children are provided with nutritional meals, it fosters brain development and resiliency. We want to provide resources that will help children in our community be most successful.”

Each week begins at Food 4 Kids with volunteers packing bags of food for each household, except for 42 children from 16 families in Dunnellon who were on a waiting list.

“When Carolyn Garren heard about them, she enlisted the help of others from the church to shop and pay for the meals for those households.” Fee said.

The need to fill the 42 backpacks with nonperishable items such as canned chicken, ramen, macaroni and cheese, canned vegetables, pudding, fruit, and peanut butter and jelly. Peanut butter is a good source of protein and jelly is a natural fit. The congregation continues its year-round donations of peanut butter and jelly for students attending the two schools.

While school is in session, each child receives a durable, rolling backpack. Volunteers deliver food directly to the school, tagged for each child who takes the backpack home on Friday afternoon and returns it to school on Monday morning when the process starts all over again. Volunteers are vital to this program.

For more information about Interfaith Emergency Services, please visit their website by clicking here.

For more information about the church, please visit Dunnellon Presbyterian Church online.