St. James' Episcopal Church

Nourished by Word and Sacrament, we are sent out to do the work God has given us to do, to love and serve God as faithful witnesses of Christ our Lord

Backpack Buddies

St. James' Backpack Buddies (BPB) Ministry connects our resources, congregation, and community to meet the nutritional needs of underserved children in Loudoun County.

In Loudoun County alone, there are approximately 11,330 children that are food insecure. Food insecure is "the limited or uncertain availability of nutritionally adequate and safe food." BPB serves children who, because of low family income level, receive free or reduced price lunch on school days. BPB ensures children are fed on the weekends -- because HUNGER does not take the weekend off!

St. James' Backpack Buddies currently supports students at Francis Hazel Reid Elementary and Evergreen Mill Elementary.

The program provides meals for 50 students to each partnership school. Each weekend pack contains six meals -- two breakfasts, two lunches, two dinners, plus snacks for the weekend. Each weekend meal pack costs an average of $7.50.

Check out the article about our own Backpack Buddies ministry featured in Leesburg Today!

How You Can Help

We need volunteers -- The program will be supported by generous donations of food, money, and time from the congregants of St. James' and members of the Loudoun community (i.e., St. James' ministries, schools, PTA, scouting groups, mom's clubs). Food will be organized and stored in our pantry (which resides in the basement of the Parish House), and volunteers are needed to pack meals weekly.

To sign up to volunteer to pack or to drive, click here!

Food Collection -- St. James' will be collecting food on an ongoing basis. If you would like to help, please pick up a red bag with the grocery wish list in the Narthex. Please return the bags with the food donation to the Narthex. If bags are not available and you want to donate food, please see the Grocery Wish List to the right.

Food donations can be dropped off in the Backpack Buddies collection box in the Narthex, or the new after-hours collection box on the porch of the Parish House.

As always, your tax deductible monetary donation is also appreciated. (100% of your donation goes towards feeding the kids. Please remember to put "BPB" in memo line of your check).

If you are interested in being a part of this outreach ministry, contact the Church Office.

Grocery Wish List

      2 breakfasts (oatmeal, small cereal box, granola bar, etc.)
      2 lunches (cheese/peanut butter crackers, cup-a-soup, etc.)
      2 dinners (easy mac & cheese, beef ravioli, tuna, etc.)
      2-3 snacks (applesauce, pudding, fruit cups, fruit snacks, etc.)
      2 shelf milks (Horizon, Hershey's, etc.)
      1 juice