Back to School Ministry Celebration

"You have no idea what this means to me" was the response one mother gave to the volunteers distributing the backpacks and Goodwill vouchers at Faith Kitchen on Saturday, July, 25th. The Back to School Ministry of Faith United was able to provide 155 backpacks and 100 $25 Goodwill vouchers to residents of Stark County. As the new Associate Pastor, this was my first experience with Faith United's Back to School Ministry. I was so impressed with the team's ability to shift gears in light of new restrictions because of COVID-19, and continue to provide school supplies and clothing vouchers for the families in our communities. Faith United was able to make this already difficult school year, a little bit easier because of the faithfulness of the leaders of this ministry, the team that supports these leaders, and many in the congregation who donated energy, time, and financial resources to make this Back to School Ministry an incredible blessing. God's generosity is being lived out through the people of Faith United!"
– Pastor Jake​

The Backpack Ministry has been an outreach of Faith Kitchen for many years and has recently expanded to be the Back to School Ministry. This ministry recently provided 155 backpacks full of school supplies to children in our community entering grades K-12. In addition, the ministry provided 100 vouchers of up to $25 per child to shop at Goodwill for school clothing.

In light of the COVID-19 Pandemic the ministry took place in a different way this year, and instead of having items dropped off at the church, many people from the congregation and community utilized our newly created Amazon Wish List to send in their donations. The Back to School Ministry remained a blessing to the many students and families in our community who benefited from the faithfulness of those who gave of their time, talents, and resources.

While the supply collection for this year is over, we are still accepting monetary donations to help cover the costs of the Goodwill vouchers and to support the ongoing work of the Back to School Ministry. You can give monetary donations directly online (click here – select "Back to School" in the Fund dropdown menu) or send a check to Faith United with "Back to School" in the memo.

Thank you for your generous support of this ministry to benefit education in our community.