Thanks to area churches, community leaders and school staff, children at Whitnel Elementary School no longer will go home hungry on Friday afternoons.

As part of Feeding America's BackPack Program, 50 students will receive backpacks full of nutritious, kid-friendly food each Friday for the weekend. The children return the backpacks Monday morning so volunteers can refill them for the next weekend.

The program is designed to help students whose families are struggling to put food on the table so they don't have to worry about whether or not they are going to eat that day.

"We are blessed with a special group of children at this school, and we are grateful to have this opportunity to help those in need," said Whitnel Principal Annette Swanson. "We have been talking for some time about getting the community involved in the school, and this is the perfect way. I take comfort in knowing that my 'children' are being fed while they are away from school."

Clyde Fitzgerald, executive director of Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwest NC, said too many children in the country are going to bed at night without any food. Thanks to community partnerships like this one, people are realizing this is a curable problem. He said children need to be protected because they are the future, and providing them with balanced meals is essential.

"A child that can't learn grows up to be an adult that doesn't earn," Fitzgerald said. "We can fix that if we all work together, and this program is a tremendous step forward."

Whitnel's program is organized by Calvary Advent Christian Church, Colliers United Methodist Church, Iglesia Evangelica Emmanuel, Whitnel Pentecostal Holiness Church and Whitnel United Methodist Church in partnership with Second Harvest Food Bank. Each church volunteers time to fill the backpacks on a rotational basis.

"When I first was approached about helping with this program, my congregation didn't ask me who was helping or why we are helping; they simply asked how much do you need and what do we do," said the Rev. Leon Morrow, of Whitnel United Methodist. "It touches my heart when we talk about children, and I am proud to be part of a group that is making a difference for these young children."

The Rev. Jim Lee, of Calvary Advent shared those sentiments, stating how excited he is to see this idea become a reality.

"It is a blessing for us (at Calvary) to work with the other churches to meet the tremendous need of feeding our children," Lee wrote in a letter. "Together we can a make difference in these children's lives."

Fitzgerald said that Caldwell is the only county in the region with three sites, which shows how supportive the local community is. He said the backpack program also is provided at Gamewell Elementary School and Dudley Shoals Elementary School.

"We are a diverse group of folks who are coming together to work for God's children, and I am proud to be part of that," said the Rev. Bill Taylor, of Colliers United Methodist Church. "We must always remember that we are all children of God."