Backpack Buddies 

Christ Church is helping address food insecurity for local children through the Backpack Buddies program. This program was started with the help of The First Baptist Church of Bay St. Louis. We provide food to children who do not have adequate, consistent access to food outside the school setting.  Each week the children in the program receive a bag of non-perishable food items that require little or no preparation, such as peanut packs, fruit cups, granola bars, and instant oatmeal.  

A multi-generational group of parishioners executes this program at East Hancock Elementary School by purchasing, packing bags, and delivering them to the school every week. This program is supported by Teachers and counselors at the school who identify the children who would benefit from this program and discreetly pass out the bags.  The hope is to eventually expand this support to set up a pantry-style set up at a local high school.