You have probably heard of the Backpack Club. Whether you were a backpack kid yourself or knew someone who was, odds are you are familiar with the positive impact it has on children in need.
I witnessed this impact firsthand when I visited the Corbin Community Backpack Program on Monday, Sept. 15. I saw around 12 volunteers from the University of the Cumberlands (UC) show up to help the program fill bags of food for children in need.
Crates quickly filled up with food that would go directly to kids who need it in Whitley and Knox counties. Each UC volunteer took turns adding different food items to a bag, which then moved down the assembly line until it was tied up and placed in a crate. The large room I was in began to fill with crates of food.
I can recall when I was young and looked forward to receiving my bag of food. The bag was full of different items, but I would immediately begin to search for specific items: ramen noodles and vanilla pudding. They took me to the back of the building where crates of different kinds of food were sitting. I saw all the items I saw in my bag as a kid, including my favorites of ramen noodles and vanilla pudding. It was a nostalgic experience.
When I informed them that I used to be a backpack kid, they said it was ironic that I was there. Earlier that morning, they held a meeting. One of the items they discussed was how it would be beneficial to the program to find people who used to be backpack kids to tell their story on how much it impacted them on their Facebook page.
Doris Moore, the chairperson of the local Backpack Program, spoke with me during my visit. She showed me the book where she keeps track of how many bags are distributed to each school. Curious about how she determined the number of bags needed, I asked her who decided which kids required support. She explained that the teachers were aware of which children needed assistance. Doris has been helping the program for about 20 years.
The program operates solely on donations and light fundraising, along with occasional support from a grant from Firestone. Doris emphasized how much the program relies on community support. Every donation, no matter how small, contributes to getting those bags of food out each week.
I was informed of a story about a rough time for the Backpack program. A couple of years ago, there was a student who passed away who played baseball. His baseball number was 18. At the time, the program was struggling financially. The child’s mother brings down a check of $18,000, just like his baseball number.
Stories like this one are why the Backpack Program matters. It’s fueled by community support.
I hope you find it in your heart to reach out to the program to help. The program helps those who need it, just like it once helped me and my family. Now it is time to help them too.
