Volunteers at Wesley UMC in Bethlehem handed out new backpacks, school supplies, clothing, hot dogs and more—including free haircuts—to elementary school children.

Thousands of families attended the annual “We Got Your Back” charity event that gets bigger, more generous and more successful each year.  Here are some outcomes of the August 18, Saturday morning giveaway gathering, reported by Sue Kiefner, a leader at Wesley (and member of the conference Communications Ministry Team). She coordinates the yearly extravaganza.

• 1,300 backpacks distributed (1,230 at the event and more Sunday morning after worship)
• 2,000 hot dogs served
• 32 watermelons sliced and distributed
• 165+ haircuts given
• 120 volunteers involved
• countless packages of socks and underwear distributed.

“We’ve partnered with local churches and agencies to help distribute an additional 500 backpacks, socks and underwear over the next week,” said Kiefner, “giving us a total of 1,800 backpacks distributed in 2018.”  See photos here and also a report from Allentown’s WFMZ-69 TV news station. Learn more…

Photo by Sue Kiefner.

Wesley UMC will also provide Bangor UMC with backpacks for its backpack festival Saturday, August 25, thanks to a grant from Northampton County.