The members of Frying Pan Free Will Baptist Church on Jan. 29 furnished the third consecutive week of 20 food backpacks delivered to Columbia Middle School.

Earlier deliveries were made by Columbia Christian Church and Open Door Fellowship.

Classes were suspended January 22 during the winter storm, but school counselors delivered the 20 food backpacks that day to students at their homes.

Other churches participating in the Food Backpack Progam are The Assembly of Praise, Columbia Missionary Baptist, Sound Side Missionary Baptist, and Wesley Memorial United Methodist.

The program is designed to furnish non-perishable food to at least 20 needy Tyrrell County schoolchildren every weekend.

Backpacks contain four meals and two snacks, enough for Saturday and Sunday when children have no access to meals in the school cafeterias.

Dr. Will Hoffman, school superintendent, estimates that as many as 400 Tyrrell schoolchildren experience hunger to some degree every weekend.

In addition to the Food Backpack Program, the ministerial association also recently donated $1,000 to establish a Children’s Fund to aid needy school students. The money is “used at the discretion of our school counselors and principals and has already been utilized to purchase coats, shoes, and other items,” Dr. Hoffman stated.

Individuals may “adopt a child” by supporting the food and clothing programs with donations to the Tyrrell County Ministerial Association in care of Rev. Royce Reynolds, PO Box 22, Columbia 27925.