Christmas Backpacks are a
tangible expression of Christ's love
for each child and teen as they are distributed at outreach events in various communities.
CHRISTMAS
BACKPACKS
The Christmas Backpacks Ministry seeks to meet the physical and spiritual needs of those living in the Appalachian Area and in upstate South Carolina. One of the greatest ministry needs occurs at Christmas. We are calling on our South Carolina churches to respond to this need. The backpacks received will be distributed to needy children and teenagers during events at which the Gospel will be shared.
Each year, the Christmas Backpacks are delivered to schools in and around Jenkins, Kentucky, in partnership with Lester and Bessie McPeek. They have also been distributed in southwest Georgia, Kentucky, West Virginia, and even on a Native American reservation in South Dakota. We have also supplied backpacks to communities in Upstate SC that are considered part of the Appalachian Region, including Union, Pacolet, Enoree, Downtown Spartanburg, and Taylors.
Engage Your Church
Share with your church what Christmas backpacks accomplish and how they can impact children and teens in the Appalachian area. Create a plan to accomplish goals you set for your group.
Shop & Gather Items
Look through the various gift suggestions and guidelines to decide which items to include. Prior to shopping, be sure to select the gender and age.
Drop Off & Pack
Once all backpacks have been filled and collected, they will need to be delivered to locations across South Carolina. Use the list below to find your nearest location.
BACKPACK REPORT FOR
2024
3,563 backpacks collected from 18 SC Baptist Associations.
Backpacks were distributed and the Gospel was presented in 5 schools in Kentucky during the week of December 8th by a dedicated team from Spartanburg County and North Spartan Associations. The team played games, sang with the children, and shared the gospel before distributing the backpacks.
Backpacks were also distributed to communities in Upstate South Carolina.
Over 1,500 backpacks went to Western NC through disaster relief efforts of SC churches and associations. These backpacks were prepared with money given by the Chesterfield Association at their Annual Session after they heard a backpack report mentioning that backpacks were going to kids in the NC mountains where there was severe Hurricane Helene damage. Cedar Shoals Baptist, also in the Network, delivered to the Arden NC area which included children living in hotels because their homes were destroyed. Cedar Spring also part of Spartanburg County Baptist Network coordinated with the school district officials in Haywood, Madison, Mitchell, and Buncombe Counties to distribute backpacks to displaced children there.