First Day of School: Moody Radio Chicago Reaches Out to Local Ministries

Earlier in the summer, Moody Radio Chicago approached us about an idea they had to connect their listening base with local organization working with urban families. This is what emerged out of a few weeks of brainstorming about a campaign that would truly to beneficial.
The goal of the Mission Backpack campaign was to connect inner city children with participating ministries. The backpack a child receive will be a sort of introduction and invitation for the child to become involved with the local ministries. The connection to the local ministry was "the main thing". It was their - Moody Radio Chicago's - prayer that involvement in the ministry's programs will help the children mature, feel safer in their neighborhoods, and ultimately accept Christ as their personal Savior.

For three weeks Moody Radio plugged this effort on their shows. Several businesses and churches around the Chicagoland area offered to be drop-off centers for the backpacks. The goal...6,500 backpacks!!!! to be distributed amongst six partnering organizations.

Joel did several lives interviews at the station (did you hear him?!) and a station associate came to Sunshine to do a candid interview with a couple moms, who could speak to how the back-to-school season affects their lives and homes.

By August 23rd the campaign was complete, both the backpacks gathered from the various locations and the online sales that were made. It was time to sort all of the backpacks and supplies.

Volunteers from each of the partnering organizations gathered in the Inner City Impact gym to take on this large endeavor. Here is a slideshow of the morning (and what I look like when woken at 6:30 on Saturday morning for work).