Pack the Bus 2024

RIFA will be hosting the 13th annual Pack the Bus food drive on Saturday, August 3rd, 2024, at five local grocery stores in Jackson.

Pack the Bus is a food drive event that benefits the Snack Backpack ministry. This ministry provides kid-friendly, easy-to-prepare, nutritious food to elementary school children who have little to no food over the weekends. The food collected from Pack the Bus will be used to fill each Snack Backpack. In 2023, the event raised 15,000 pounds of food.

The food drive event will be held Saturday, August 3rd from 9:00am – 3:30pm at Kroger Stonebrook (41 Stonebrook Place), Kroger University (35 W. University Pkwy.), Walmart North (2196 Emporium Drive), Sam’s Club (2120 Emporium Drive), and Walmart South (2171 S. Highland Ave.). A school bus will be parked at each location, and RIFA staff and volunteers will be collecting food and money contributions to feed our hungry neighbors.

Items needed to fill the Snack Backpacks include:

• Pop-Tarts, Ramen Noodles (chicken or beef)
• Microwavable Popcorn (individually wrapped)
• Apple Sauce (with foil lids)
• Oatmeal (single serve packs)
• Chicken Noodle Soup (with pop-tops)
• Ravioli (with pop-tops)
• Macaroni and Cheese (individual packets/ bowls)

RIFA provides Snack Backpacks to approximately 1,400 children at Jackson-Madison County elementary schools each week during the school year. Each Snack Backpack provides a child with six meals and two snacks.

If you’d like to volunteer, you can sign up by clicking the button below or by calling Erin at 731-427-7963.

Donations can also be made to support the Snack Backpack ministry by visiting https://secure.qgiv.com/for/snackbackpack.

-RIFA-

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