Back Pack Buddies

2017 Mineral Wells Idol

This year's Mineral Wells Idol is Friday, Oct. 6 and moves to Holiday Hills Country Club. Admission of $12 includes a Mexican dinner buffet. We are looking for singers. Entry is just $20. See the form for information. We look forward to another fun evening of music and raising money for one of our community's most important endeavors – making sure no local child has too little to eat over a weekend.

Program history

Back Pack Buddies began during the 2010-11 school year as a mission to be sure no child goes without food, or too little to eat, over the weekend.

Unfortunately, the need for such a program is great. In 2015, the program is serving more than 180 children each week. Palo Pinto County has one of the lowest per capita incomes per household in Texas, and in Mineral Wells ISD, 65 percent of the students are on free or reduced-price meal plans.

Children who go without enough nutritious food to eat lack energy, focus and are developmentally stunted not only mentally, but physically.

It costs about $3 per child, per week, to provide them with food for over the weekend. That means it costs the program about $600 per week to operate, or about $30,000 per year, depending on the number of children served. The food provided is child-friendly, non-perishable and easy to consume.

Volunteers assemble the food bags, and they are delivered each week to local schools by Mineral Wells police officers and fire/EMS personnel.

Back Pack Buddies is not just a First United Methodist Church mission, but a community-wide project that is enjoying growing support from residents who see and understand the need, and share the compassion for helping and providing for these at-risk children.

The good news is you can help by volunteering or donating. For just $12 a month, you can provide weekend meals for one child.

Send your tax-deductible donation to:

Back Pack Buddies

P.O. Box 1466

Mineral Wells, TX 76068

We plan to soon offer a way for online donations using PayPal.

For more information, or to get involved by helping raise funds or volunteering to serve, email bpbmw@gmail.com or visit the mission's Facebook page.