On Friday afternoons at Park Avenue Elementary in Stuttgart, Arkansas, a small but powerful ritual now takes place.
Quietly, backpacks filled with an assortment of healthy foods and meals are slipped into the hands of students who need them most — ensuring that when the final school bell rings, hunger doesn’t follow them home.
For Pastor Laura Todd of Grand Avenue United Methodist Church, that moment is exactly what this work is about.
“We’re trying to meet children where they are. Food is energy for the body. When kids have healthy food, they sleep better, think better, and perform better — both at school and at home.”
— Pastor Laura Todd, Grand Avenue United Methodist Church
That simple belief has grown into the Grand Avenue Children’s Backpack Ministry — a community-driven effort now strengthened by a grant awarded through Communities Unlimited (CU) to support the program from January through May 2026. The support was provided through CU’s partner Trust for Civic Life, a national philanthropic collaborative investing in locally led projects that strengthen civic connection across rural America.
A Partnership Rooted in Community
The story began through a connection made by Brenda Williams, Healthy Foods Coordinator with CU’s Community Sustainability Team. Williams met Pastor Todd through the University of the Ozarks’ Town Square Collaborative, a regional initiative that supports rural congregations as they address local challenges.
As Williams and Pastor Todd talked, one need kept rising to the surface: food insecurity among elementary students in Stuttgart and the broader Arkansas Delta.
Pastor Todd shared that the church had already been supporting children through snacks and special events, but funding limited how often they could help. The church’s outreach — including back-to-school giveaways and Trunk or Treat events — revealed just how many families were struggling.
With help from retired educator and church member Phyllis Orlicek, the church partnered with Park Avenue Elementary School, where staff identified students who would benefit most. What started as occasional support quickly became a vision for something bigger — a consistent, weekly backpack program.
That vision became reality when CU awarded grant funding to Grand Avenue United Methodist Church to expand the program for the spring semester.
“This support helped us expand from helping just four to six times a year to serving students throughout an entire semester,” Pastor Todd said. “It’s allowed us to build a stronger relationship with the elementary school and truly partner with their staff.”
Why It Matters Here
The need in Arkansas is stark. According to USDA data, the state has the highest rate of food insecurity in the nation — nearly 19% overall. Feeding America reports that one in four children in Arkansas faced food insecurity in 2024.
In the Arkansas Delta, those numbers are felt deeply.
“I’m a former teacher, and even years ago I could see food insecurity among my students,” Orlicek said. “The Backpack Program has been at Park Avenue Elementary for several years, and I’ve always felt it’s such a good program. The food is easy for students to access and prepare, and it makes a real difference.”
She’s seen that need grow even more in recent years.
“We live in the Delta, in a rural farming community, and farmers are really struggling this year,” Orlicek said. “When farmers struggle, the whole community feels it. Teachers I know have been noticing that children are coming to school hungrier. We’re so appreciative of this grant from (CU). It’s going to help so much.”
How the Program Works
Through the partnership between Grand Avenue United Methodist Church, Park Avenue Elementary School, and local volunteers, 63 students now receive backpacks filled with child-friendly, non-perishable foods each week.
The church purchases the food, school volunteers pack the backpacks, and students take them home at the end of the week — helping bridge the “hunger gap” when free school meals aren’t available.
Backpacks include items like cereal or oatmeal, Spaghettios or Chef Boyardee meals, juice, applesauce or fruit cups, snacks, and fresh fruit.
The goal is simple: make sure children return to school on Monday nourished, focused, and ready to learn.
“Children cannot focus on learning if they are experiencing hunger. Anything we can do to support children and parents, especially in today’s economy, really matters.”
— Pastor Todd
Stronger Together
At the heart of the program is collaboration — between church, school, nonprofit, and community partners.
“Because we’re stronger together. I really believe this is the future of ministry — churches working alongside schools and nonprofits. We could all be doing separate things, but when we put our efforts together, we reach more people and serve more students.”
— Pastor Todd
Williams sees the backpack ministry as more than a one-time solution. She hopes it becomes a sustainable model for other rural communities — showing how local institutions can work together to tackle food insecurity year after year.
Pastor Todd shares that vision.
“My hope is that we can continue this in some form long-term and even expand it,” she said. “I’d love to find ways to include more fresh fruits and vegetables in the future. That’s something I really want to see grow.”
For now, the impact is already visible — in fuller backpacks, quieter worries at home, and children who walk back into school each Monday ready to learn.
