Surfside steps up support for kids’ food, clothing needs during Lent

Photos courtesy of Kenny Bingham

SURFSIDE BEACH—Surfside United Methodist Church held a food drive for Help4Kids and Backpack Buddies this Lenten season.

The drive ran Feb. 22, the first day of Lent, through April 9, Easter.

Help4Kids/Backpack Buddies is a 100 percent volunteer organization that relies solely on donations. They provide food, clothing, shoes and school supplies. Going to school prepared helps children learn and be better able to finish school and go beyond the cycle of poverty into which they were born. Children should have the opportunity to grow and be a child for as long as they can while receiving the basic needs as all other children. Help4Kids sends bags of food, clothing and other supplies to families as needed. Backpack Buddies distributes food to approximately 3,000 children every Friday throughout Horry County. Backpack Buddies supplies children with nutritious, child-friendly, self-serve food designed to be put in a backpack and feed a child over the weekend. This program is in dire need of food right now.

There is much success with the backpack program. Parents have expressed their appreciation, and volunteers say it is exciting to see the faces of the children when their weekend food bag is added to their backpacks.

The church, under the direction of Mike and Sandy Rockmore, along with several volunteers, have taken five truckloads to them so far, with at least one more truckload to go, and maybe more as the church has abundantly and graciously donated to help these kids. While the church donates to both groups throughout the year, members decided this was a worthy cause to go above and beyond with their help this year.

Help4Kids/Backpack Buddies expressed their gratitude for Surfside UMC’s efforts.

Volunteers said it’s always a great thing to be able to help children with something as important as being able to eat all weekend. People so often don’t know what others go through as they are busy living their own lives.

Help4Kids/Backpack Buddies also accept gift cards from local grocery stores, or checks made out to Help4Kids.