Page 66 - The Crown 2015-2017

TOP TEENS OF AMERICA

NATIONAL SERVICE PROJECT

TOP TEENS OF AMERICA
BLESSINGS IN A BACKPACK

INITIATIVE

(SPONSORED BY TOP LADIES OF DISTINCTION, INC.)

Lady Mavis Merritt
National TTA Special Projects Coordinator

Blessings in a Backpack and similar programs were established to provide children with non
perishable food for the weekends, when they may not have food in their homes.

At each Area conference, the host chapter selected organizations for Back Packs containing non
perishable food to be donated. Over the past 2 years over 3000 backpacks were donated across the
country.

Syn-Lod 2017 Teen, Ladies and Lords gathered to sort, pack, load, unload nonperishable items for 6
worthy organizations in the Metropolitan St Louis Area. Community Women Against Hardship,
Kingdom House, Crisis Nursery, the Lessie Bates Davis- Mary Brown Center, New Bethel Baptist
Church, and the Salvation Army. Each organization received backpacks of nonperishable food items,
as well as bags of peanut butter(kept that separate for peanut allergies). Also each organization
received new backpacks to assist with their Back to School programs.

We provided over 1000 backpacks of food and over 250 backpacks to prepare for back to school.

At Syn-Lod, we were slotted a 2 hour time to pack the backpacks. Once the donations began to arrive,
we knew we would need more time. The sorting began on Friday night. Ladies and Teens began
sorting the items that had been delivered. Lady Kimberly Beck, was able to secure several pallets of
non perishable food donations. Chapters across the country donated over $1600.00 to purchase the
food for the backpacks. The Humble Intercontinental chapter donated $500.00, Confluence $250.00,
Will County Black Diamond $150.00 and Area II $125.00, which put us on a great start. Thank you to
all of the chapters that made financial and or food/backpack donations.

Packing the backpacks was quite a scene. The tables were loaded and the Teens filled back packs and
filled more back packs and then more back packs. We had baggers, counters and photographers, lots
of action for action photos. And don’t forget the sorting for each organization. Lots of work but as the
pictures demonstrate, the Teens enjoyed packing the backpacks and being a part of the process.

After the Community Awards, the next step was to begin the process of loading the backpack into the
recipients vehicles. Male Teens and Lords were more than excited to help with loading the vehicles.
This project combined many M.O.M.E.N.T.U.M. mantras, emphazing,,,, Networking, TeamWork and
Unity!!!

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