LIFESTYLE
story by Kim Brauss
‘Because hunger doesn’t take the weekend off…’. “We serve simply because there is a need,” Scott Collins said describing the origin of Backpack Buddies. “This is our community that we care about.” Backpack Buddies provides children from food-insecure homes with healthy weekend meals during the school year. The children, selected by school principals and guidance counselors, receive a backpack containing balanced meals and snacks at the end of every week. Collins, founder of the group in Marion County, said the group was created during the 2013-2014 school year: “I felt the need to try to provide food for (Marion County school) children that might go hungry over the weekend.” He said the program serves the public schools in Marion County, helping feed children from ages 4 to 19. About 108 children receive bags weekly through support volunteers. The leaders of Backpack Buddies are all public school teachers at Marion High School. Maribeth Osborn, in her 29th year of teaching as a special needs teacher, started helping the next few weeks with the weekly bags. Now she also serves as a board member. Sydney Hooks serves as president. She’s in her eighth year of teaching math. And Collins is in his 27th year of teaching art. The teachers are also involved in their communities. Hooks volunteers with several organizations, including Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) and the Pilot Club. Osborn is involved with FCA as well as her church. And Collins leads FCA and also serves as pastor of Friendship Baptist Church in the Gresham community. “Early on, we
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had a number of volunteers who were current and retired educators that helped us,” Collins said. Friendship Baptist Church of Gresham as well as area churches, civic organizations, and volunteers help collect and pack bags with kid-friendly non-perishable food. “Backpack Buddies has been a huge blessing to the hungry children of Marion County, and to me personally,” Osborn said. “I am so thankful to the Lord for putting it on Scott Collins’ heart to start Backpack Buddies many years ago.” “Leon Sturkey (Director of Operations for Marion County Schools) and Tim Perkins (Director of Transportation) stepped in and made sure food was delivered during the Spring 2020 closing of our schools,” Collins said. “We have a number of local churches, businesses, and individuals that have stepped up and provided both finances and food. These include Pee Dee Electric Co-Op, Anderson Brothers Bank, Marco Rural Water, EagleWing Tribute Band, the Eastern Carolina Community Foundation, Pee Dee Peanut Farmers, and Pee Dee Academy, to name a few.”
