USA (MNN) — Americans are
feeling the bite of a souring economy. With each new business report, there's
news of a falling dollar, rising food and fuel prices, foreclosures, and
unemployment. People are tightening belts and cutting back on luxuries.
In some cases, "luxury" is
anything beyond a place to live and scant food to stay alive. Here's Life Inner City is looking ahead to the
new school year because many families won't be able to afford school supplies
this year.
For many inner-city children lacking
the basic materials for learning, the beginning of the new school year is
another reminder of the uphill battle. Here's
Life's Ted Gandy says, "We feel it's really important that we get kids off
to a good start. As mundane as this may seem to some, it's a big deal for an
elementary or a junior high child."
Their backpacks of school
supplies, or "PowerPacks," build bridges. Last year, Here's Life had requests for 1,900
PowerPack backpacks that they could fulfill, simply for lack of funds.
Gandy explains, "This year,
we're committed to providing over 2500 Power Packs in 14 cities across
the country. We're basically raising $29.50 for each of those."
The backpacks are to be distributed
by ministry partners, inner-city churches and S.A.Y. Yes! Centers. The PowerPacks not only carry much-needed
school supplies, but they can also open minds and hearts to the Gospel.
Says Gandy, "In each one of the
PowerPacks, we have an urban Book of Hope. So often, when a caregiver will
deliver a PowerPack to a child, they'll actually pull out that Gospel
presentation and go through it with the family or with the child."
