We are pleased to announce that this week BackPack Beginnings (BPB) is evolving from under the support umbrella of The Community Foundation of Greater Greensboro (CFGG) to operate as its own 501c(3) charitable organization. Operational changes for BPB also include a transformed vision and mission statement, a newly formed Board of Directors, and a new mailing address of 1852 Banking Street #9024, Greensboro, NC 27408.
BackPack Beginnings was established in 2010 by Parker White as a charitable purpose fund at CFGG. What began as a feeding program in one school feeding 50 children has grown to a multi-program organization that serves almost 2,000 children a year. CFGG was instrumental in providing BPB with the support needed to launch the initial feeding program as well as allow for expansion. Due to the organization’s growth and tremendous community support, BPB is operating as its own entity and expanding to meet the staggering need among children in our community through the use of backpacks.
“The Community Foundation of Greater Greensboro has been instrumental in providing our organization with incredible support, allowing BPB to grow and refine our mission, programs, and community relationships. Because of their dedication to the community and belief in BPB’s vision, we have been able to expand to serve thousands of children in need in Guilford County,” says White, Founder/Volunteer Executive Director. BPB is a 100 percent volunteer-run and donor-driven organization with a mission to provide children in need with nutritious food, comfort items or certain basic necessities through the use of backpacks and other efficient means.
“BackPack Beginnings is a great success story,” says John Whisnant, Development Officer at CFGG. “Everyone understands the need of children to have food, and Parker does a wonderful job in taking that a step further to show the importance of putting an end to hunger among school-aged children, in order to maximize learning opportunities. It is important to have hunger addressed so that children have every opportunity to learn. As BackPack Beginnings becomes more visible in our community, people will learn of their mission and support it financially.”
The vision of BackPack Beginnings is “a community of healthy and well-nurtured children.” BPB is currently helping approximately 2,000 children in our community through their Food and Comfort BackPack Programs, but there is need for so much more. This year, over 56 percent of children in Guilford County Schools receive free and reduced price meals and over 8,400 children have been affected by childhood trauma such as abuse, neglect, homelessness, or refugee resettlement in our community. The newly revamped BPB organization will continue to grow to meet the unmet need among the children in our community one BackPack at a time.
Currently, the Food BackPack Program sends nutritious kid-friendly food home on the weekend to over 730 children at 18 Guilford County Title 1 schools and Head Start programs. The Comfort BackPack program has distributed over 1,100 Comfort BackPacks since May 2012 to children during transition from abuse/neglect, foster, homeless and refugee settings. If you would like to find out more or support BackPack Beginnings through in-kind donations, funding or volunteering, please contact Parker White at parker@backpackbeginnings.org or take a look at the rest of our website.
Written on 4/22/2013 by Blogger Katie Sopcik
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