Community BarnRaising Packs Over 1,200 After-School Backpacks! HandsOn Battle Creek's Community BarnRaising event, held at the Food Bank of South Central Michigan, was a huge success. Our thanks go out to the gracious volunteers who answered the call to action and gave of their time and talent.     The Community BarnRaising program uses the old-fashioned idea of a barn raising, whereby the community comes together at the same time, in the same place, to achieve a specific goal. The goal on Saturday, March 21st was to pack as many After-School backpacks as possible in three hours time.   Over 30 volunteers from all generations joined together to work side by side in stuffing, tying, and counting over 1,200 packs of food.  With the help of this event and the outstanding volunteers, area children will be provided with nutritious food through the Kids' After-School Backpack Program made possible by the Food Bank of South Central Michigan.  HandsOn Battle Creek is honored to have donated the funds necessary to allow Ann J. Kellogg and Coburn Elementary schools to receive six weeks of After-School backpacks through the months of April and May via their 21st Century After School Program.   A special thanks also goes out to Battle Creek for their gifts through the Community Food Drive which took place February 23rd through March 28th. Local residents donated a total of 289 pounds of complete meals and individual size cereal boxes/packets to benefit the backpack program. Local contributors to the donation drive and backpack program include: Kellogg Company, Sam's Club, Save-A-Lot, Wright's Beauty Academy, Target, Wal-Mart, and Omni Community Credit Union.   HandsOn Battle Creek and Food Bank of South Central Michigan are extremely grateful for all the work that was accomplished through both the Community BarnRaising event and local food drive.   The Food Bank of South Central Michigan is a local organization helping to build and sustain our community by making the commitment to insure that no one goes hungry through collecting and distributing food and grocery products. The Kids' After-School Backpack Program, which is available through area schools and ministries, provides a weekly bag full of non-perishable food items to children from low-income families who are at risk of going hungry.   HandsOn Battle Creek is honored to be able to invest in these projects at local nonprofits. We look forward to upcoming Community BarnRaising projects and partnerships in our community.  If you are interested in volunteering for future Community BarnRaising projects, please contact HandsOn for details.   If you are part of a nonprofit agency, organization, or neighborhood group, and would like to submit future project ideas please contact HandsOn Battle Creek at 269-966-4189.  Possible projects can include: home repair, neighborhood cleanups, food and household goods collections, and mural painting projects. Community BarnRaising projects take place year round on a quarterly basis.   HandsOn Battle Creek is a United Way program delivery partner and was founded in 1949. To learn more about volunteering, serving on a nonprofit board, or donating to nonprofits in our community, go to www.handsonbc.org.

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