Hundreds of community members gathered together at Sellers Park on Saturday afternoon as Bread of Life Assembly of God Church distributed more than 900 backpacks in a festival-like atmosphere.
Amid musical performances, games, inflatables and popcorn, pretzel and water ice giveaways, approximately 70 church volunteers, along with members of the Upper Darby High School football team, came together for the fifth annual Free School Backpack Giveaway/Community Fun Day.
Sellers Park was packed Saturday during the Bread of Life’s Fifth Annual Free School Backpack Giveaway/Community Fun Day. (KATHLEEN E. CAREY – DAILY TIMES)
The Rev. Thomas Keinath, lead pastor of Bread of Life Assembly, said there were 70 church volunteers staffing the event.
“The church underwrites everything,” he said. “It’s really a gift to our community.”
In addition to the annual bookbag distribution, he said the church goes to 69th Street once a month and takes food and clothing to distribute there. Plus, the church also has a food pantry every second Saturday of the month.
David Oduwole, associate pastor, said that the backpack/fun day was a way of connecting with people while demonstrating the love of God.
“We have the opportunity to connect with them and represent Christ to them and make them feel welcome,” he said.
Keinath added, “We’re serving our community. We want them to know that our doors are open to them.”
The backpacks distributed Saturday at Sellers Park included notebooks, folders, index cards, pencils and crayons. (KATHLEEN E. CAREY – DAILY TIMES)
Church volunteers at the event reinforced that message.
“Our main motive at Bread of Life is just serving the community,” Roxanne Manjal said between handing out backpacks. “And all our people, we love to help and give back to the community. This is the way we can show Christ’s love.”
Manjal and her husband, David, work on the backpacks every year.
David Oduwole, associate pastor, left, with the Rev. Thomas Keinath, pastor of Bread of Life Assembly, right. (KATHLEEN E. CAREY – DAILY TIMES)
Alusine “Brother Al” Kandeh agreed.
“It’s a great opportunity to give to the community in a live way,” he said. “A lot of people don’t get a chance to see the church other than Sunday.”
For him, as he monitored the game area, volunteering had its own rewards for the day.
“This to me is an example of what heaven’s going to look like for me,” Kandeh said. “Just multicultural, just everybody kind of enjoying one another. This is what I expect heaven to look like: just a party with a bunch of people that are never strangers, just family I haven’t met yet.”
Alusine “Brother Al” Kandeh said the Bread of Life Assembly of God’s fifth annual Free School Backpack Giveaway/Community Fun Day looked like what he expects heaven to look like. (KATHLEEN E. CAREY – DAILY TIMES)
Mia, a mom at the event, said it really made a difference for her.
“I think it’s awesome,” she said. “I think it’s amazing, especially for the families, the low-income families … It was my first time last year and it was so helpful. I didn’t have any school supplies but then the kids were also able to enjoy the time here.”
Joseph Sarjoo, a Bread of Life leader in charge of evangelism, said every year, the church increases the amount of backpacks to distribute.
“And these are fully loaded backpacks,” he said, adding they include notebooks, folders, index cards, pencils, crayons and more. “It’s good enough to get you back to school.”
Everything at the event is completely donated by the church, Sarjoo said, including sunglasses, hygiene products and Starbucks mugs for the community.
“This year with the cost of everything, our budget went up about 35 to 40% from what it was last year,” he said. “I order all of the backpacks, I order everything from Staples, the bouncy houses, everything went up with inflation. It costs a whole lot more this year than it did last year but we’re going to continue doing it.
“As you can see,” he said looking at the hundreds of people enjoying the day, “it’s well worth it. It’s an investment that we will keep doing because it’s well worth.”
Joseph Sarjoo, a Bread of Life leader in charge of evangelism, said the church works all year to make the Free School Backpack Giveaway/Community Fun Day work. (KATHLEEN E. CAREY – DAILY TIMES)
Sarjoo shared why the church puts on the event.
“We want to show the community in Upper Darby the love of Christ,” he said. “For us, this is how we demonstrate the love of Christ. A lot of people, one way or another over the years, they were scarred by the church so we’re not here to push Christianity to anyone. What we’re here is just to show them the love of Christ.”
He descibed what the church wanted attendees to take with them besides the backpacks.
“What we want them to walk away with is feeling that somebody cared for them,” Sarjoo said. “We all know what is going on with the economy today. It’s very difficult. We have a lot of single parents that are out there.”