This Christmas season, M&R Marketing provided a $5,000 donation on top of the $19,311 they helped raise for BackPack Ministry through their annual M&R Gives fundraising campaign. For every dollar donated through mandrgives.com, M&R Marketing matched the donation up to $5,000.
This is the third annual M&R Gives, with this year’s community donations totaling $24,311. “We were so proud to see how the community came together this year to support the important work of BackPack Ministry,” said M&R Co-Founder Matthew Michael. “The thought of children going home hungry at night and on weekends is a painful thought and we’re so thankful for the work of Backpack Ministry.”
The BackPack Ministry began in February of 2011 serving 9 students from Lane Elementary. In the years that have followed, they have grown to serve over 1,850 children across 24 schools and 3 counties. As the program grew, they inspired eight other churches to create their own programs which now serve an additional 450 students with food, clothes, and school supplies.
Children who come to school hungry are identified by teachers, counselors, or principals. A permission form is sent home asking permission for the child to receive a bag of food every Friday. The BackPack Ministry shops weekly at the Middle Georgia Community Food Bank. Each student receives 15 child friendly items (4 drinks, 3 protein, 3 fruit, 3 snacks, and 2 breakfast) each Friday. Each school has a team that packs and delivers. The team members place the bag of food in each child’s backpack in a designated area at the school.
You can learn more about BackPack Ministry and M&R Gives 2020 at mandrgives.com.