Topeka North Outreach, Inc., Youth Ministry has begun its 13th year providing Weekend Food Sacks to area children in need through its Operation Backpack program. To start the new school year, backpacks and school supplies are being collected for eligible children whose families are: working poor, single or widowed, foster or adoptive, disabled, or grandparent parents.
Once school starts, children will receive a Weekend Food Sack full of nutritious, single-serving size food items every Friday, to take home in their backpack.
The desire is to look after orphans and widows, the poor and needy. TNO is currently raising funds, collecting school supplies and backpacks, and collecting snack type food items in order to reach 600 children every week at ten local schools.
71.95% of children in Topeka Public Schools fall in the “economically disadvantaged” category according to the Kansas State Department of Education website (2016-2017 statistics.) That’s close to 11,000 children right here in Topeka!
Food donations can be dropped off at any of the member churches: Calvary Church, Calvary Lutheran, Elmont United Methodist, Faith Family Life Center, First United Methodist, Grace Communion International, Grace Point Church. Kansas Ave. United Methodist. Lighthouse Bible Church, North Topeka Baptist, Northland Christian Church, Oakland Presbyterian, Oakland United Methodist, Pleasant Hill United Methodist, Seaman Community Church, Second Baptist Church, Second Presbyterian Church, St. Marks AME, St. Peters United Methodist, Topeka Church of the Brethren.
Volunteers are always welcome to help assemble the Weekend Food Sacks the first Thursday of every month at 6 p.m. beginning September 6 and continuing thru June 2019 at Indian Creek Elementary, 4303 NE Indian Creek Rd. Volunteers are also needed on Fridays to distribute sacks to the children at school. Over 100,000 Weekend Food Sacks have been distributed to needy children in Topeka since the program began. TNO distributes food sacks to children in need that attend Chase Middle school, Quincy & State Street elementary7, Elmont, Logan, North Fairview, Northern Hills, West Indianola elementary schools, Pleasant Hill Learning Campus, Seaman Middle School, Seaman High School
If you would like to help, contact TNO at 785-286-1370, or email: youth@topekanorthoutreach.org.
If you are needing help with School Supplies then visit the website: topekanorthoutreach.org.
Also, VBS Club is held every day after school at Garfield Community Center offering bible stories, crafts, music, service projects, homework help, after school snacks, mentoring, tutoring.
The TNO Hygiene Ministry also distributes hygiene kits to area children in need.
Disabled veteran making a difference serving neighbors