Today we’d like to introduce you to Michelle Powell.
Hi Michelle, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
In the spring of 2022, I was a stay at home mom of three small kids, living out in the country and trying my best to raise good humans. The days were long, but I knew the years would be short and my window to show them how to lead a life of service, kindness and generosity would be small. I’d read the memoir, “The Glass Castle” by Jeannette Walls after college and it forever changed my view of poverty and what some children are up against to no fault of their own.
I reached out to our local Blessings in a Backpack program to see if we could help. Our little town was feeding 66 kids a week, from preschool to middle school. We began to meet after school or church each week to help pack the bags with snacks, breakfast cereals and protein items. At the time, I felt humbed to learn so many children, neighbors even, were hungry and I was grateful to be able to help and show my son there were more important things in life than Pokemon cards.
After packing bags for a few weeks, I was asked to run the program as the current program coordinator would be moving away. While I wasn’t quite ready, I couldn’t say no. Today, we continue to support the families in our community, feeding 75 kids a week from the preschool to high school.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
When asked to run the program, my first thought was “How in the heck can I add this to my already full plate?”. I’d packed bags with Harvesters before having kids, but I had never run an entire food service program before. I had to learn how to fundraise for the program, procure the food, pack the bags and deliver them each week to the schools. All while caring for a 7, 4 and 1 year old.
I knew I couldn’t do it alone, and began slowly recruiting friends, family and neighbors to help. Packing the bags became the easy part. There is never a lack of volunteers willing to donate their time to pack bags for local, hungry students. My mentor through the national organization taught me how to look for sales on food we frequently purchased. It was a feat in itself to order the correct amount of food for each week’s pack. We provide 2 breakfast items, 2 entree/protein items, 2 snacks as well a a piece of fresh fruit each week. Taking the program over in the winter was an interesting obstacle, as I began to order more and more food online and those deliveries had to make it up my long, steep country driveway. There was one snowy, March day when a friend was over for coffee and multiple delivery drivers attempted to make it to the house with my packages. Three trucks and cars got stuck on my drive that day, and one ended up in the field, who we had to push out. Needless to say, I learned how to consolidate my order into one delivery and pick my delivery day.
Fundraising was and continues to be, my biggest obstacle. We had money in the bank to get through that first semester I ran the program, but not much past that. At the recommendation of other program coordinators, I began to post more on our facebook page about the program, and shared it to my personal page. Ever so slowly, people began to ask me about Blessings. I talked with my local bank, and they set out a donation bucket; our PTO donated a huge supply of macaroni and cheese; a friend and wellness coach in town began donating fruit; a local business offered to host an annual fundraiser and then the list of donors began to grow.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
Blessings in a Backpack is a National 501c3 NonProfit dedicating to eradicating childhood hunger. Most school age children attending public school have the option to receive free or reduced lunch, however these children often go hungry on the weekends. The consequences of hunger are much more than a growling stomach. Poor nutrition can result in a weaker immune system, increased hospitalization, lower IQ, shorter attention spans, and lower academic achievement. The vision of Blessings in a Backpack is that every school age child have the nourishment needed to learn and grow. Our program works to mobilize communities, individuals, and resources to provide food to these children on the weekends who might otherwise go hungry.
While small, I pray that our program gives the children in our community hope. These bags, placed discretely in lockers on Thursday afternoons, serve as a reminder that someone cares. Whether a family just needs help for a few weeks because of a tough circumstance, or they utilize the program year round, we would love to be able to support every family that needs it. My goal would be for there to be no child hungry in Miami County.
What do you like best about our city? What do you like least?
Louisburg is a small town with a big heart. Big enough to support restaurants, a car dealership, numerous businesses and venues, but small enough to help your neighbor when it counts. The community truly rallies around each other in times of need and has many programs, such as Blessings, that give hope and care.
Pricing:
- Feed a child for the month: $16
- Feed a child for the semester: $65
- Feed a child for the year: $150
- Annual budget: $11,250
Contact Info:
- Website: https://giving.blessingsinabackpack.org/organizations/louisburg-ks
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100067705716871
