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31 Backpacks had over a dozen volunteers on Tuesday helping out at Glad Tidings Assembly of God Church in Hancock. They quickly unloaded the last delivery to the organization from the food bank and Louie’s Fresh Market of Lake Linden before the Big Pack.
Beginning on Sunday afternoon, all of those raw supplies will be sorted and prepped for Monday night when 16 days’ worth of food and toiletries are readied to be sent home with less fortunate students throughout the Copper Country Intermediate School District. On Tuesday morning, bus drivers will pick up the goods and administrators at each school distribute the bags at their location.
Melissa Maki says why the effort is so important.
31 Backpacks provides the same service over the weekend for kids who are part of the program throughout the entire school year. To guarantee anonymity, they don’t know who receives their packages. The organization only has information on the child’s age and any allergies that may exist. They have a color coded sorting system to adjust for those factors.
Maki says it’s easy to help. Just be there.
Once school is back in session, the weekly packs tend to happen on Wednesday nights. Volunteers are appreciated for those as well, especially when Michigan Tech and Finlandia students are unavailable, such as during Carnival or the week of Spring Break.
