Change Font Size:   A A A

Dec 13, 2012 | Luke Blount

Blessings in a Backpack Program Receives $10,000 Grant

shear blessings 1
Food ready to be delivered.
shear blessings 3
First graders from Holy Spirit School helped pack these
backpacks and posed for the picture.

Good Shepherd, Friendswood, parishioner Janice Warwick was perusing Facebook when she saw the opportunity to nominate a program for a $10,000 grant as part of Walmart's 12 Days of Giving leading up to Christmas. On a whim, Warwick submitted an application on behalf of the Shear Blessings in a Backpack program of Holy Spirit Episcopal in Houston, and to everyone's surprise and excitment, the program won one of 10 grants dedicated for childhood hunger.

 

Shear Blessings in a Backpack was just a thought only a few months ago. Last summer, Holy Spirit's Melissa Peter had the idea of helping children in Houston's Third Ward and began asking how to help at Blackshear Elementary School. To her surprise, the administration told her they received almost no community support, and she resolved to make a difference.

 

Together with help from Holy Spirit's director of family ministries, KariAnn Lessner, and volunteers through Holy Spirit's church and school, Shear Blessings in a Backpack was born in September of this year. The program orginally provided weekend food for 50 qualifying children, but as word spread, the program has already doubled their output to 100 children.

 

Peter's cousin, Suzy Spencer, is the youth minister at Good Shepherd, Friendswood, and she invited Peter to speak for a church outreach mission called "One Such Child." That program helped expand the reach of Shear Blessings, and the two churches continue to work together on behalf of Blackshear Elementary.

 

And that's where Warwick comes in. She says she was very touched by Peter's testimony at Good Shepherd and felt called to do more. In just a few moments of her time, amidst Facebook posting, she was able to secure a $10,000 Christmas present for Shear Blessings and the children it supports.

 

With such a young program Peter says she isn't exactly sure what the longterm goals of Shear Blessings will be, the future certainly looks bright.

 

To learn more, visit Shear Blessings Facebook page or visit the national Blessings in a Backpack website. Contact them at