Micah's Backpack serves up meals for Blacksburg schools

Blacksburg, Va., Nov. 9, 2017 – Packed bags: After volunteers pack plastic bags full of food, they are sorted into the pews according to which school they will be going to.

Photo: Alayna Jones

Alayna Jones | alayna3@vt.edu

Blacksburg, Va. Nov. 16, 2017 – One in five children in the United States lack consistent access to enough food during the day according to the Washington Post. Micah’s Backpack, an organization started in Blacksburg, Virginia, is there to try and help reduced that number of children who go hungry during the day.

Micah’s Backpack started at a local church, St. Michael’s Lutheran Church, in 2008. Pastor John Wertz was one of eight people who wanted to do something about the hunger issue in Blacksburg, so they decided to take action.

The organization started out small only working with Prices Fork Elementary School but has grown to now serve children who qualify for the free and reduced lunch program at 10 Blacksburg schools.

“One big impact we have is we have helped to create a place where people can share their gift, serve and help their neighbors,” said Wertz. “It’s a low threshold to help. Anyone from eight year olds to 84 year olds can help.”

According to the Micah’s Backpack website, many sororities, fraternities and clubs from Virginia Tech help out with Micah’s backpack whether it be holding a food drive to collect food, coming to help pack the bags or delivering the bags on Friday mornings to the schools.

Kinsley Watkins, who is apart of Chi Omega and Hokie Ambassadors at Virginia Tech, has been helping out with Micah’s Backpack since last fall.

“Micah’s Backpack is a great way to show to community how much we care and helps us come together and give back to those who need it most,” said Watkins.

Over the course of 10 years, with the help of all these organizations and partners, Micah’s backpack has packed over 300 backpacks a week. You do the math for yourself to see how many meals they have been able to provide to children in the area.

Multimedia Reporting Assignments

Micah's Backpack is an organization that started in Blacksburg in 2008 to help fight hunger in local schools. Through volunteers alone and people who crave change in the community, Micah's Backpack has successfully feed thousands of children.

Stated above is statistics about Micah's Backpack. They have been able to help out more and more students throughout the years. Also, there is a diagram of how the money helps out these students and how many qualify for this assistance at each elementary school in Blacksburg.