Hundreds of children in Salem go hungry on the weekends. Many children in our community rely on school lunches for nutrition and are often undernourished during the weekend.

One of the ways Outward Church seeks to meet this need is through our Backpack Buddies program. Each week during the school year we prepare bags with meal items to send home with dozens of elementary school students. These bags are delivered to school on Fridays and given to children when they leave, providing them with a basic source of nutrition over the weekend.

TOTAL WEEKLY NEED (for 48 students)

• 48 Oatmeal Packets
• 48 Small Cereal Boxes
• 144 Canned Food (Chef Boyardee, Campbell’s Soup, etc.)
• 48 Cup of Noodles

Per bag breakdown:

• 1 Oatmeal Packet
• 1 Small Cereal Box
• 3 Canned Foods
• 1 Cup of Noodles
• 1 Piece of Fruit

Items can be dropped off at Connect Central on any Sunday.