Our Daily Bread, Church Music Students Pack Backpacks for Area Needy

Area service groups need volunteers and donations to pack backpacks with school supplies for less-fortunate students.

Our Daily Bread, Pender United Methodist Church and other local non-profit organizations have teamed up with Fairfax County Public Schools to provide school supplies for children who would otherwise go without.

“We heard about a need in our neighborhood that we could help with,” said Pender effort organizer Megan Jones. “With donated funds, we’ll get the specific school supplies that a child needs and we’ll include a letter to each child wishing them luck in the coming school year and telling them that all the kids and adults who helped stuff their specific backpack will keep them in their prayers throughout the school year.”

About 50 summer music camp students at the church are chipping in.

“Our kids don’t want to be thinking about going back to school yet either. But when we told some of them about the idea, they got excited to be able to help,” Jones said.

The church is holding a backpack stuffing event at 5 p.m. Friday. Volunteers should arrive at the church (12401 Alder Woods Dr.) ready to pack away school supplies and a free barbeque dinner.

Our Daily Bread's cost-cutting partnership with Kids R First provides a full arsenal of supplies for less than $15 per student. They hope to raise enough money to stock up 350 needy students in the Fairfax High School pyramid.

"For many families in our area who are working hard but struggling to make ends meet, the prospect of finding the funds to purchase new supplies for their children each year can be stressful," said Our Daily Bread’s Executive Director Lisa Whetzel. "We hope the community will respond generously to ensure that children whose families are in crisis are able to return to school this fall with the tools they need to succeed in the new school year.”

Make a monetary donation at www.ODBFairfax.org or by mailing a check (4080 Chain Bridge Rd).

Want to make another kind of impact? Our Daily Bread is accepting teen-sized backpacks and scientific calculators.

• Order them through Our Daily Bread's Amazon.com Wish List: http://amzn.com/w/30A5MCLIRONCH.
• Deliver them through August 12 to Our Daily Bread's NEW office, located in the Massey Building Annex at 4080 Chain Bridge Rd. Fairfax, VA 22030, Monday-Friday between 10am-2pm.
• Drop them off from July 1 through August 12 at any of the following local businesses during normal business hours:

Bertucci’s Restaurants (Alexandria, Herndon, Springfield, and Tysons Corner locations only.)

Merrifield Garden Center (Fair Oaks location only – 12101 Lee Highway, Fairfax, VA 22030. Leave at register.)

Virginia Heritage Bank (Fairfax Branch only – 11166 Fairfax Blvd. Fairfax, VA 22030)