COUNTY LIFE
Backpack Buddy Club packs up meals for Thanksgiving
By DANI BLACKBURN
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This Thanksgiving 80 students will have a holiday feast thanks to the donations of the Backpack Buddy Club, a ministry at Lighthouse Assembly of God focusing on providing food to economically disadvantaged children.
The ministry expanded about seven years ago to include a holiday meal for the students. The week of Thanksgiving, those students will receive a “grocery bag” with sweet potatoes, stuffing, gravy mix and a voucher for a turkey.
“You can’t stick a frozen turkey in a backpack, so we send the voucher for the family. Usually about 30 of the families, so not all of them, come and pick up their turkey,” said Coordinator Kara Harris. “We have noticed when parents do come by and pick up their turkeys or their Bible at the end of the year, the families are always really thankful. We know they are appreciative.”
The students don’t just benefit at Thanksgiving, but all school year long as a bag of 10 items is discreetly placed in a child’s backpack, filled with items they can cook or eat themselves to help them through the weekend. The ministry serves students at Bowie Elementary, Bowie Intermediate and Gold-Burg school.
Read the full feature in the mid-week News.
It has been quite a busy few days at the Montague County Youth Fair with schedule changes, juggling of events and trying to cope with the unexpected snow storm. However, the youth fair always rolls on thanks to the dedicated volunteers, coordinators, parents and students.
Friday the rabbit how starts at 10 a.m., with heifer and steer show at 2 p.m. Ag. mech. check-in at 6 p.m. with that show at 9 a.m. on Saturday. Swine will move into the barn later today with its show at 9 a.m. Saturday.
Saturday the home economics silent auction will start at 6 p.m. and run to 9 p.m. in the show barn. Showmanship buckles will be presented at 6 p.m. in the barn followed by leadership day awards. The premium sale is at 6:30 p.m. Make plans to come out and support these hard working kids and families.
See all the winners in the Thursday Bowie News.
Top photo – Poultry show photo taken by Rashonda Hobbs of Unfazed Creations, official photographer for the youth fair. Make sure and check out her photos.
When we were going through my grandmother’s house in Nocona after it sold, I found a few neat keepsakes, but the biggest treasure I thought I had found was her biscuit cutter. I was so excited to show my mother (her daughter) and just knew she would be happy it was found and would still be used after all this time.
My mother, however, had a different thought about my precious biscuit cutter. She said, “Suzanne, you know that biscuit cutter is just an old tomato paste can that has both ends cut out.”
I was still no less delighted with my cutter. I continue to use it today. My husband has bought me vintage, new and fancier cutters, but this cutter is something I go back to time and again.
My Memaw was recruited to be a lunch lady from 1952 to 1958 at Nocona Elementary, back when lunches were cooked, not “fixed.” Lenora Brown Burnett was an excellent cook and everyone knew it. She went on to work at the Nocona Major Clinic kitchen from 1958 to 1969.
You could only use shortcuts if you knew how to do it the long way. That is how I still approach cooking. You can only use a cake mix if you know how to make a cake with lots of ingredients, time and effort.
Read Suzanne’s Love & Luck column in the Thursday Bowie News on the On the Table page.
Top photo – Grandmother’s biscuit cutter and hand written recipes. (Photo by Suzanne Storey)
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