The Home Missions Committee would like to thank all who participated in donating backpacks and school supplies for Tricounty Family Ministries. We also appreciate the volunteers who helped organize and sort the backpacks and supplies last Monday, as well as those who handed out the filled backpacks to the children on Friday. The following supplies were collected, sorted, and divided among 87 backpacks according to the size/age appropriateness:

81 packages of markers

12 packages highlighters

260 erasers

924 pencils

250 pens

130 glue sticks/glue

100 paper clips

90 packages of paper

139 spiral notebooks

105 composition books

158 boxes of crayons

68 packages of colored pencils

49 packages of index cards

56 binders

21 packages of dividers

144 folders

1 package of construction paper

43 rulers

54 pairs of scissors

5 staplers and staple packages

50 St. Philip’s bag tags

40 children’s Bibles

 Kim Meyer, Bowen Barber, Gerry McCord, and Becky Barber counted and organized the supplies and stuffed the backpacks before they were picked up by Tricounty Family Ministries

Backpack distribution volunteers Gerry McCord, Becky Barber, David Warder, Clifton Warder, Andrew O’Dell, and Amey Warder

We had guaranteed Tricounty that we would donate 50 backpacks, but generous St. Philippians donated 87 backpacks altogether! On Friday, August 16, we watched so many little faces light up as they walked through to pick out a new backpack filled with age-appropriate supplies to start the new school year. Thanks to Amy Watson Smith, St. Philip’s Director of Ministry to Children and Families, the backpacks we handed out came with special tags the kids could use to mark the bags as their own and to remind them to trust in the Lord. The Home Missions Committee also donated 40 children’s Bibles to offer to the kids as they picked up their new backpacks and supplies.

An unexpected blessing was that we had enough filled backpacks to be able to respond to a request from Lowcountry Orphan Relief; we dropped off 15 filled backpacks with them on Friday afternoon!

One of our goals as a committee has been to help organizations like Tricounty monetarily, but also find hands-on ways our congregation can get  involved and familiar with them. Supply drives like these have proven to be a great method, and we also encourage our parishioners to volunteer their time in person throughout the year, such as by helping to prepare or serve meals. Keep an eye on your inSPIRE and on our website for opportunities! stphilipschurchsc.org/home-missions-volunteer-opportunities.

St. Philip’s, the Home Missions Committee thanks you once again for your time and generosity!