Backpack Project 2016
Although this is going to be a chaotic time because we are in the process of moving to our new building, Daily Bread will still have its annual backpack giveaway. This will be the 8th year that we give away backpacks to the guests we serve at lunch. We will NOT be giving backpacks to children. The C-U community is very generous to children at Christmas time throught such projects as Shop With a Cop and the Salvation Army Toy Store. But the men and women we see every day are are rarely remembered. For many, these backpacks will be their own Christmas present.
Backpacks will be given away on Friday, December 16 at New Covenant Fellowship from 10-12. We will have a sorting and stuffing day on Wednesday, December
14th. Last year we gave away over 800 backpacks. With a forecast of a cold winter and with the lack of shelter spaces in our community this year, these backpacks will be especially welcome this year.
We would like to encourage all of you to participate in this project if you can. You can help by volunteering to sort donations. You can help by filling a backpack. You can help by encouraging friends, groups you belong to, etc. to fill backpacks. We welcome both already filled backpacks and also items to fill backpacks that are donated empty. Last year we were especially in need of sweatshirts, gloves, thermal underwear, and hats.
Backpacks should be stuffed with toiletries such as deodorant, hand lotion for hands chapped by the cold, toothpaste, toothbrushes, shampoo, shaving cream, etc., cold weather items such as gloves, hats, scarves, socks, sweatshirts, tee shirts, long underwear, and regular underwear. Other items can include hand warmers, cough drops, books, decks of cards, small fleece blankets, candy, gum, food items, etc. Backpacks and all items should be NEW.
All backpacks should be labeled with the gender and size of recipient (i.e., Man-XL). Last year most of our guests, both men and women, requested at least a size Large, most preferred XL, and there was also a need for some 2X and 3X bags.
Filling a backpack is a wonderful activity for families, grandparents and grandkids, church groups, book clubs, service organizations, scout groups, bridge clubs, social clubs, classrooms, etc. We are extremely grateful to everyone who participates in this annual project and helps bring some holiday joy to our guests at the soup kitchen.
Backpacks and backpack items can be dropped off beginning Monday, Dec. 5, at New Covenant (124 West White Street, C) 9 from 9-12. Please use the back door off the alley. Backpacks can also be dropped off at Ellen Harms' (705 S Elm Blvd, 356-2551), Pam Hagle's (713 S Elm Blvd., 359-3245) or Ruthann Evans (4414 Crossgate Dr. 398-5687). Tax forms will be availabe at dropoff sites. For more information, contact Ellen, Pam, or Ruthann.
Backpack Project 2015
For the seventh year in a row it was Backpack time at Daily Bread. DBSK once again celebrated the holidays by giving filled backpacks to the men and women who are our guests at lunch. We did NOT be giving out backpacks for children last year. The Champaign-Urbana community is very generous to children at Christmas through such projects as Shop with a Cop, Salvation Army Toy Store, toy drives, etc. But the men and women we see daily are rarely remembered. For many these backpacks were their only presents.
Backpacks were given away on Friday, Dec. 18 beginning at 10:00 am. Last year we gave away over 600 backpacks in two hours.
Backpacks were stuffed with toiletries such as deodorant, hand lotion for hands chapped by the cold, toothpaste, toothbrushes, shampoo, shaving cream, etc., cold weather items such as gloves, hats, scarves, socks, sweatshirts, tee shirts, long underwear, and regular underwear. Other items included hand warmers, cough drops, books, decks of cards, small fleece blankets, candy, gum, food items.
All backpacks were labeled with the gender and size of recipient (i.e., Man-XL). Last year most of our guests, both men and women, requested at least a size Large, most preferred XL, and there was also a need for some 2X and 3X bags.
Filled backpacks were dropped off beginning the week of Monday Dec. 7. Backpacks were also dropped off at Daily Bread, 124 West White, Champaign during the week from 9-1.
Filling a backpack is a wonderful activity for families, grandparents and grandkids, church groups, book clubs, service organizations, scout groups, bridge clubs, social clubs, classrooms, etc. We are extremely grateful to everyone who participated in this annual project and helps bring some holiday joy to our guests at the soup kitchen.
Backpack Project 2014
Follow this link to the News Gazzette video taken at the 2014 Back Pack Give Away
If the link does not open, copy and paste into the URL bar
http://www.news-gazette.com/video/2014-12-19/daily-bread-soup-kitchen-backpack-giveaway.html
Hi All, Just want to let you all know that after much calculation, we concluded that we gave away 806 backpacks today in just 2 hours on Friday, December 19th!! We gave away ALL the mens packs that had been donated, ALL the women's packs, and have maybe 25 little kids packs left that will soon find homes. It was a lovely day. No arguments, no fighting. Lots of smiles and hugs. Although the temperature was chilly, the sun was shining. Santa walked the line outside, handing out cookies, and dancing with our guests. Mr and Mrs. Claus welcomed everyone inside, handing out candy, and letting lots of little kids sit on their laps. A huge thanks to everyone who donated all those beautifully stuffed backpacks, to everyone who showed up and helped with the giveaway, to everyone who helped make the day such a big success!! The News Gazette showed up and shot a wonderful video. It is worth a viewing, very well done, and very reflective of the spirit of the day! And you can see DBSK's Pam Hagle do her own version of interpretive dance!
Back Pack Project 2013
We were incredibly lucky that our annual Christmas Backpack Giveaway happened to fall on one of the very few almost balmy days this winter! Once again lines stretched for blocks as guests waited patiently to get a backpack. Santa showed up along with some elves who passed out cookies to guests waiting in line, and we gave away about 750 generously stuffed backpacks in just over two hours! We ran out of women's packs with just a few minutes to go, but most of the remaining women were happy to take a man's pack instead. We also ran out of very small children's bags and will ask for more donations for babies and toddlers next year. We ended up with only about 30 children's packs and 35-40 men's packs, all of which found homes in the next few weeks.
Backpacks came in from many places. Champaign Rotary donated 80 highly coveted backpacks. A book club donated 38 backpacks, in honor of their 30 year anniversary. We got backpacks from bunco groups, Sunday School classes, Girl Scouts, Brownies, tennis groups, neighbors, churches. Grandparents filled backpacks with their grandchildren. Many many individuals dropped off backpacks
I wish that you all could have been there to see tiny toddlers almost bent over backwards with big bags on their backs, men and women with huge grins on their faces as they received a bag, and the true warm spirit of Christmas that seemed to permeate the fellowship hall of New Covenant!
The backpacks have always been a wonderful gift for our guests, but this year, the socks, gloves, hats, scarves, sweatshirts, underwear, handwarmers, etc, that the bags were stuffed with have been especially appreciated as our guests have struggled to deal with the harsh weather.
The line stretched several blocks long. Guests came in the front door, got a hand stamp and gave their names to volunteers, and then entered the hall where they received a backpack. Then they went to the kitchen door where they were given a sack lunch. Final stop was a drink and an orange at the back door exit.
One woman after exiting asked Henry who was manning back door if she could have a second lunch and the guest behind her said, 'here, take mine.' When she hesitated, he said 'Merry Christmas' handed her the lunch, and left smiling, with his new backpack slung over his shoulder.
It was that kind of day!
Back Pack Project - 2012
A big thank you to everyone who made our 4th Daily Bread Backpack Giveaway a big success!! Our best estimate is that we ended up with over 1,000 backpacks. They came into the Soup Kitchen so quickly and in such quantities that we quickly lost an accurate count! We gave away over 700 stuffed backpacks on Thursday in just under three hours. The weather was sort of cooperative. It drizzled, but the temperature didn't drop and the snow didn't begin until the last person got a backpack. The sun even came out briefly. Our guests waited patiently in a line that stretched for several blocks. One enterprising guest actually showed up with a tent while others brought lawn chairs. Santa even showed up and passed out cookies to guests waiting in line. We had approximately 300 backpacks left over that we gave out after Christmas to guests who were unable to attend the giveaway.
We want to thank all of you who were so generous with your donations. A special thanks to those who volunteered to sort a mountain of backpacks, to those who helped in so many ways on Thursday, and a special thanks to the Thursday crew who prepared over 500 sack lunches forthe guests who came to pick up backpacks.
A very, merry Christmas to all our Daily Bread friends!!
