Sorting through a mountain of pop-top meals, juice boxes, peanut butter crackers, and pop tarts, a group of students in Lexington, Ky. found a way to connect with elementary-aged children in need in Eastern Kentucky. This past May, Christ the King School partnered with Christian Appalachian Project to pack 170 weekend meal backpacks.
“The service project really resonated with our students,” said Kaire Boneau, the teacher who chaperoned the students. “At Christ the King, we strive to provide opportunities for our students to live out Matthew 25. We want to get them out of the school building so that they can see the face of Christ in others.”
Matthew 25 teaches Christians to champion those in need: feed the hungry, welcome the stranger, clothe the naked, care for the sick, and visit the imprisoned.
“We wanted our students to see that when they work together they can accomplish a lot. It is the principle of ‘many hands make light work.’ When they combine their efforts, they can make a difference,” Boneau added.
Each week, Christian Appalachian Project’s Grateful Bread Food Pantry packs 89 backpacks that are distributed through Rockcastle County Schools to children in need in Appalachia. Christ the King students wrote hand-written notes of love and encouragement for each child receiving a backpack – children who may not otherwise know from where their next meal is coming when they’re away from school. The backpack program provides healthy meals and snacks to supplement and sustain these students every weekend.
“I volunteered at CAP when I was in high school,” remembered Boneau. “The work of Christian Appalachian Project has endured for more than 50 years. I am glad to see the work continue to transform the lives of children and their families. It’s a blessing for our students to join in that work.”
