School Backpack Project

     Recently  I was with some ministry friends travelling from our Orphanage in the village of Brosteni to our Youth Transition Program in the capital city of Bucharest.   We stopped by a Feeding Center to attend the feeding program. After seeing the extreme poverty of rural places in Romania our ministry friends were excited about the impact of the Bread of Life feeding program and the clear difference we make in the lives of children. The joint efforts of supporters and staff have indeed made a big impact in the lives of many children.   

     Looking ahead we see still more opportunities to share God’s love with the hurting. Yes, we share food, clothing, and Christian literature through our 51 locations where we feed over 3000 children, but their needs do not end with a full stomach. Looking at nationwide statistics we learn that many families participating in assistance programs merely become dependent if they are not encouraged to complete education and learn job skills. There is a well-known saying “he who opens a school door, closes a prison.”  Not having education leads to unemployment which can lead to stealing or much worse. Reading Proverbs 15:14 “T he discerning heart seeks knowledge,” we are encouraged to help the children seek knowledge.

     One major obstacle is for them to have the needed school supplies. For a family that has no food on the table,  school supplies are way down on their priority list. Trapped in poverty,  they sacrifice the future of their children,  throwing them into an endless cycle of poverty. Like us they know that if a man is taught how to “fish” he will never be hungry again but they are stuck with no solution. The children often abandon school due to lack of school supplies that make them feel inferior to their school mates.  It is a dream of mine to provide all the children who come to our Feeding Centers with the basic school supplies they need to attend school.  I think any effort we make in this direction will produce significant results in their lives.

     Every big dream starts with a first step. We believe sharing this need with our ministry friends is the first step. If you have extra school supplies you can send them to us and we will forward them to Romania for distribution. Another way to help is by sending a special donation marked “School Backpack Project.”  A local Romanian office supply company that has hired some of the BOL children and where Andrei, a YTP graduate, is a warehouse manager, wants to partner with us by offering school supplies at cost only.   School backpacks filled with supplies will only cost the ministry $13 each .  

    We pray for God’s blessings over this project. We know He loves the children and so do you and we can make this dream a reality.

Alin P. 

School backpacks filled with supplies will only cost the ministry $13 each .