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FOR
the
LOVE
OF KIDS
Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.” John 21:15 |
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Children
all over
the world
go to
bed hungry.
Here in
our own
backyard
there
are hungry
children.
Fortunately
on school
days,
children
who qualify,
are provided
reduced
or free
lunches.
Weekends
for some
of these
children
is tough;
they go
hungry
and look
forward
to school
so they
may eat
another
filling
meal.
FLOK is a new ministry to Garris Chapel. Here’s how it works. Friday afternoons five backpacks will be dropped off at a specific school location. Each will be full of enough food for one child to last an entire weekend. On Monday morning, the children will return the backpacks to a designated location, where they will be picked up and packed for the following weekend. |
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Hi,
welcome
to the
FLOK website!
My name is Christina Brown. My husband and I started FLOK, For the Love of Kids, in March of 2009 at Garris Chapel United Methodist Church in La Grange, North Carolina. FLOK is currently serving over 50 children in the Goldsboro/La Grange area. With the passion of several in our area who are dedicated to help end world hunger, we are able to provide nourishment to children in our community. My heart is drawn to helping and caring for children. Let me tell you why. In 1977 I was born to Spencer and Debbie. Soon after came two sisters, all of us two years apart. We lived in an old flat in Hartford, Connecticut in a tough crime-ridden neighborhood; the kind of place that none of us wish for our children to live in. I have heard so many times that children don’t remember events in their lives at a young age. Let me tell you, if they’re traumatic enough, they will. I remember at times not having electricity, being scared when it was getting dark without mom or dad at home, and sleeping in a single crib with my sisters because we did not have a bed other than the one my parents slept in when they were home. I remember cockroaches on the floors, on the walls, and crawling on us when we slept. I remember being hungry and having to literally scrounge around in the fridge only to find a glass jar of pickle juice that I ended up drinking (oddly enough, I still love pickles). I recently learned that I was hospitalized for months after drinking bleach. During that time I was in an out of a consciousness, maybe that’s why I don’t remember this event. I was near death, but God still needed me here ….. I remember breaking jars of baby food to feed my sisters because I was not strong enough to open the lids. If we had milk, I would give it to them. I couldn’t stand to hear my sisters cry from hungry. I would go hungry so they wouldn’t. I remember seeing a brown, glass bottle on the window ledge; being thirsty, I drank it – my first drink of alcohol at the age of four. I was a child - hungry and thirsty. I was a hungry and thirsty child. I remember the gnawing pain from not having food in my belly. I remember the thirst and reaching for the little brown bottle out of desperation. I remember the broken jars and feeding my sisters while trying not to give them glass. Children should not have to worry about their next meal. I have opened my eyes; this is what I am meant to do, feed His lambs. “…for I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me.” Matthew 25:35 Let
me share
stories
of some
of the
children
FLOK has
helped:There was a little boy this past school year whose family not only struggled to put food on the table, but experienced a tragic loss. Simon’s (not actual name) family came from Honduras. His father was a hard worker who tried to provide for his family. After some time, Simon’s father came to the realization that he could not make ends meet, much of it due to difficulty finding a permanent job. He went back to Honduras to find work. While gone he was killed. He left behind 3 children and a wife. Here’s what he wasn’t able to leave behind: money, vehicle, and electricity. FLOK was there for them. FLOK provided food for the children and a page long list of agencies that are available to help in time of need. FLOK was able to relieve some of the burden the mother was experiencing while trying to find a job and feed her 3 children. There was also Joshua who lives in a home where there is no phone service, on some occasions goes without electricity, and had only a frozen chicken in his freezer for his family to eat. Joshua went hungry on weekends—until people like you contributed foods and funds to FLOK. Now Joshua takes home a back-pack of nutritious, kid-friendly foods every Friday afternoon. Who
we serve: It is not our place to judge. It is our place to feed. “Red and yellow, black and white, we are precious in HIS sight.” Jesus loves ALL the children of the world. |
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Feeding
five
students
= 30
meals
a week;
120 meals a month; approx. 1,400 meals a school year That’s a lot of food! Here’s how you can help:
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Food
Item
Ideas
(Kid friendly, easy to prepare foods): Canned
meats
(tuna,
sausages,
hams) |
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Here’s an idea of what will be packed in each backpack: 2 cans of meat 3 cans of vegetables 1 can of fruit 2 juice boxes 1 packets of breakfast food (oatmeal or breakfast bar) 2 snack items 2 noodle items 1 individual serving size milk box |
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| To
start
off strong
for the
beginning
of the
2009/2010
school
year,
we need
a jumpstart
on donations.
We would
like to
begin
the school
year with
a surplus
of two
months.
We would
love to
include
fresh
fruits
and vegetables
in the
bags.
These
are not
items
that we
can stock
up on.
Many of
us plant
gardens
during
the warm
months.
You can
contribute
by planting
a few
extra
plants
or a row
designated
for FLOK
children.Monetary
donations
are also
welcome.
Money
will be
used to
purchase
food as
needed,
wheeled
school
bags,
can openers
and microwaves
for those
who we
are giving
to that
don’t
have such
items
to prepare
the food.
We also
welcome
donations
of gently
used microwaves
and can
openers. We would love to make this a success, but we can’t do it without your help. The more we receive in donations, the more children we can feed. We would love to provide this ministry to all surrounding elementary schools. If we can comfortably provide for five children, we should be able to do so for others at a different school. |
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FLOK
is strictly
run
by
donations only. Thank
you
so much
for
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We
encourage
all
churches
to become
involved
in FLOK
or to
begin
a backpack
ministry
at your
church.
If you
would
like
to do
so,
you
may
contact
Christina
Brown
at the
church
office,
252-566-4355. |
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To
learn
more
about
how
you
can
help
Email
Christina
Brown
at: Garrischapeloffice@suddenlinkmail.com |
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![]() Wayne County 2007-2008 Statistics from NC Food Bank Poverty Living
at
or
below
poverty
23,852 Children in Poverty Ages
0-17
living
in
poverty
8,110 Hunger Number of children receiving free/reduced lunches 11,317 % of children receiving free/reduced lunches 59.2% ![]() |
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To
learn
more
about
how
you
can
help
Email
Christina
Brown
at:
If you have any problems viewing the website send your question here and we will do our best to help |
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