Grant’s Black Belt Community Project: Fighting Hunger with Blessings in a Backpack
Grant’s Black Belt Community Project: Fighting Hunger with Blessings in a Backpack
My name is Grant, and I’m a Blue Belt at True Balance Karate. I’ve been doing karate for five years, and one of the requirements for earning my Black Belt is to complete a community service project.
For my project, I chose to support Blessings in a Backpack, a national organization that provides food to kids over the weekend and during school breaks. Many students rely on school meals during the week, and this program helps make sure they don’t go hungry when school isn’t in session.
My first experience with Blessings in a Backpack was during a spring event I attended with my mom and brother. We helped pack food, and I really enjoyed the process. That’s when I decided I wanted this to be my community service project.
To get started, I raised $350 to buy food. Then I hosted a packing event in our basement with some of my friends. We set up a station, made encouragement cards, and packed 40 bags of food for local kids.
Later in the spring, my mom helped organize a larger event at my school’s gym. This time, we packed $3,000 worth of food for students going on spring break. The event was supported by the Downers Grove Junior Women’s Club, and together we were able to make a big impact.
I chose this project because I really liked packing the food and knowing it would help kids in my community. It feels good to do something that makes a difference.
About Blessings in a Backpack
Blessings in a Backpack is a nonprofit organization that works to combat childhood hunger across the United States. By providing food on the weekends for elementary school children who might otherwise go hungry, they help thousands of kids return to school on Monday ready to learn and thrive.
To learn more about their mission or get involved, visit: www.blessingsinabackpack.org
Ready to help your child grow into a leader like Grant?
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