The Enid News and Eagle, Enid, OK

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August 9, 2009

Feed the Neighborhood event distributes backpacks, school supplies to families

By Robert Barron, Staff Writer

For the ninth year, the Feed the Neighborhood event has distributed backpacks and school supplies to Enid-area kids, and every year it gets bigger.

This year the seven sponsoring churches and three major corporations expected 5,000 people and it appeared they would reach that number. When the event began at 5 p.m., a line stretched from the front of the performing arts pavilion at Government Springs Park, around the south side of the lake to the street approaching the park.

“We heard people were in line by 10 a.m.,” said the Rev. Brad Mendenhall, pastor of World Harvest Church, a leader in the event. The group had 1,500 backpacks filled with school supplies, 1,500 shoe vouchers, and 1,500 sock and underwear vouchers, redeemable at Kmart.

“It’s becoming better known, but also I think economically more people are finding a need for it also,” Mendenhall said. “ I hope we don’t have to turn anyone away this year.”

The event included a mini festival with a number of games, cotton candy and popcorn, the Oklahoma Blood Institute was taking blood donations and Enid Fire Department was present with safety demonstrations. Plus 23 Enid hairstylists were present to give haircuts.

Around the park, kids sat with new backpacks by their side eating a hamburger. Mendenhall said volunteers started cooking hamburgers about 3 p.m. Sunday. A new wrinkle this year is pre-packaged supplies. In previous years, church volunteers worked for several days stuffing school supplied in the backpacks. This year corporate sponsor Continental Resources purchased pre-packaged generic school supplies that were easily placed in the backpacks.

Sponsoring churches are Harvest Time, Covenant Life, Grace World Outreach, Destiny Christian Fellowship, Zoe Bible Church, First Presbyterian and World Harvest Church.

A grocery walk gave away two bags of groceries. Mendenhall said people lined up until dark continually playing the game. The annual event receives strong participation from the Hispanic and Marshallese populations in Enid.

Corporate sponsors are Continental Resources, Cummins Construction and Advance Food Co. About 400 people representing the churches and corporate sponsors worked at the event.

Kimmer Mussman, who is associated with World Harvest Church, said she has been involved with every Feed the Neigh-borhood event since it started, and it has grown every year.

“It’s been awesome, seeing where it’s gone and the people it’s helped,” she said. “At the end of the day you know you made a difference in someone’s life.”

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