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Snax Sax for Kids!
Growing in Middle GA by Barbara Fatkin |
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Beth Starling, mother of six,and a member of EmbryHills United Methodist Church in
Atlanta,
attended a workshop on poverty several yearsago. There she learned that the
average age of a homeless personin Georgia is 9 years old. Facedwith depressing statistics, heart
wrenching stories and photos,Starling started feeling helpless rather than
challenged. Then aminister in attendance mentioned that his wife had organized a
few church folks to take bags of foodto their local school for the children who
were on free or reduced meals. The minister’s wife had heard from teachers at
the school that many of the children came back on Mondays having hardly eaten
over the weekend.
Over the next few months,Starling contemplated
the problem of children without enough food and one church’s response to the
need. By summer of 2008, she had formulated a plan–Snax Sax forKids– to present
to her church.
“At Embry Hills UMC, we puttogether about 100
small bags of healthy snacks and take them toour nearest Title 1 school every
Friday morning during the school year,” says Starling, who now coordinates the
Snax Sax ministry forKids at Embry Hills.
Starling’s idea was featured onCNN and also in a
news article appearing in The Advocate, a publication of the United Methodist
Church.
Snax Sax Started at PerryUnited Methodist Church
After reading the article in TheAdvocate about
Embry Hills’ successful Snax Sax program, LindaMason, outreach chair at Perry
United Methodist Church (PUMC),was inspired to start a similar programin her
church. Since August2009, Perry United Methodist Church has been packing 180
SnaxSax a week for kids at nearby Perry Primary.
“The school provides us with alist of students
whose parents have requested the Snax Sax. About 100 volunteers from our church
andothers are involved with shopping,sorting, packing, and deliveringSnax Sax.
It is important when settingup a Snax Sax program tomake sure you divide up the
responsibilities so that people don’tget burned out,” Mason said.
Mason volunteers from 5 to 6hours a week heading
up the program.Much of her time is spentbuying the food with funds thathave been
donated to PUMC.“I am impressed with the generosityof our church and community
ingiving of their time and money to fund this project,” Mason said.
Six volunteers load the bagsinto a truck and
deliver the Snax Sax to Perry Primary on Fridays.
“We put the bags in donated grocery carts and go
room-to-room to deliver them. Seeing the smileson the children’s faces makes the
effort worthwhile,” Mason said.
And what’s the biggest lesson learned through
doing this ministry–“God provides, just havefaith.”
For more information on theSnax Sax program at
Perry UMC, contact Linda Mason at 478-997-1582, or e-mail
evanmason@comsouth.net
Now, Snax Sax at First
UnitedMethodist Church
In late March, First UnitedMethodist Church in
WarnerRobins started a Snax Sax ministry at their church. Partnering withLindsey
Elementary, FUMC has started delivering 150 Snax Sax aweek to students there.
With the church’s successful Soup Kitchenand Food Pantry, Snax Sax forKids is a
natural addition to their outreach in the community.“
We will pack Snax Sax with nutritional snacks
like fruit, pudding, apple sauce, cheese crackers, granola bars and other items.
Tomake this happen, we will need thehelp of the whole church. All of uscan help
by picking up a few things when we buy our groceries.This will be a team effort
withroom for lots of helpers. We can make a difference in the life of 150
children in this community.I believe that knowing their kids are better off will
make a difference with the parents or guardians,too. And remember what Jesus
said, ‘When you did it for them,you did it for me,’” said Dr. Jimmy Asbell, Jr.,
pastor of First United Methodist
Church in Warner Robins.
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