The Need

A couple of years ago First United Methodist began serving hungry children in our own community through a ministry called Backpack Buddies. For many children, the school cafeteria is their primary source of nutrition throughout the week. This leaves these children without dependable meals over the weekend. Backpack Buddies identifies these children, with the help of the local school system, and then sends them home each weekend with a backpack filled with healthy, easy to prepare food.

The response has been wonderful and the idea began to spread to other schools and churches within our community and beyond. This year, Advent Revolution will help fund the establishment of the Backpack Buddies Foundation, which will assist other churches in the development of their own Backpack Buddies ministries in the Thomasville area and beyond.

Since our first involvement in Rwanda in 2007 we have seen the tremendous value of education in changing the life course of children. Since the 1994 genocide, the country of Rwanda is rapidly changing. A new, stable government and considerable economic development mean more opportunities for these children who grew up in a violent war torn nation. However, without an education, these opportunities are likely to pass them by, leaving them to live a difficult life of mere subsistence.

Half of this year's Advent Revolution funds will go to provide some of the children at Star School and the Village of Hope scholarships to help them finish their education and/or recieve vocational training that will enable them to be happy and productive citizens of a country that is recovering from an almost unspeakable past. And because these kids are being nurtured in Christian environments they will grow up to be leaders that will then serve their fellow people with the gifts they've been given. We have already witnessed first hand the power of education to transform these children's lives. We hope to hear many more stories of success.