Claypool Women Collecting Food, Funds For Power Packs Backpack Project
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Jennifer Peryam-jperyam@timesuniononline.com
Two Pleasant Grove United Methodist Church members started a food backpack program last year and items and funds are needed to continue to serve Claypool Elementary School students. Aubrey Rife and Janet Moore, both of Claypool, started the Power Packs Backpack Program in 2011 that is sponsored by Pleasant Grove United Methodist Church, Warsaw. Rife and Moore were on the church’s preschool board together when they started the program. Rife and Moore discussed with Becky Vogt, Claypool Elementary School nurse, what kinds of things they could do as a church to help children in the school. Vogt immediately told them that food was the biggest need many of their children had. After the closure of the preschool they had approximately $1,000 left over and the church wanted them to come up with a project to use the money. After much discussion Rife and Moore decided to start the Power Packs program. Rife and Moore currently pack 24 backpacks every two weeks for Claypool Elementary students. The backpacks come with food for full meals for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Fresh fruits and vegetables also are packed. Vogt works with the students and their families and Rife and Moore to deliver the backpacks to her to distribute to the children. “We decided that since the preschool had focused on children we would like to choose a project that involved children for the funds,” Rife said. Since Rife and Moore both have children at Claypool Elementary they knew the need that many children within the school were facing. Moore has two sons, Ethan and Jason. Ethan is a fifth grader and Jason is a preschooler. Rife has a daughter, Kylee, who is a fourth grader, and son, Kaden, in second grade. Moore said the program is important to help the kids in Claypool. “The idea of kids going home and not knowing when or if they will ever eat is a problem,” Moore said. The free and reduced lunch rate at Claypool Elementary School is 60 percent, with 51 percent of those students receiving free lunches, and 9 percent receiving lunches at a reduced rate, Rife said. “It is amazing for a person to see the backpacks distributed because the kids that get them act as though it is Christmas morning,” Rife said. “It was very important to us that we provided the children with well-rounded food options that could also help support the needs of the entire household.” Needed items include shelf-stable milk, chicken and rice meals, dried fruit, tuna, whole-grain cereal (individual servings), instant oatmeal, granola bars, fruit and pudding cups, beef stew, pasta and pasta sauce, apple juice (single boxes), string cheese, pancake mix, crackers, peanut butter and canned goods (vegetables, fruit, chili, etc.). Currently private donations have provided funding. Some have come from within the church while others have been from individuals at Claypool Elementary. Donations also have come from the Noon Optimist Club, Lake City Honda Kawasaki and a grant from Kosciusko REMC through their Operation Round Up program. Since this is all funded through private donations the program struggles to make sure that it has the funds necessary to support the program, according to Rife. “We have been told by the school that they have several additional kids that they could add to the program, but we have been unable to increase our number of students due to the funds we have available,” Rife said. “Our hope is that we could get the funds needed to increase our number of backpacks to cover a broader number of students. We also will accept any food donations that someone would like to provide.” Food items can be dropped off at Claypool Elementary School, 2024 W. CR 700S, or people can contact Rife at 574-376-0864 or Moore at 574-551-8992 to arrange for a pick up or drop off outside school hours. Those interested in donating food or providing funds can call Claypool Elementary School at 574-566-2300.
