Youth Minister Kenny Martin, his wife Jessica Martin and son Barrett Martin all took part in West End Baptist Church’s “Pack to School” project that provides school supplies to Clanton Intermediate School students.

The beginning of a new school year can be a stressful time for many, but the children’s ministry at West End Baptist Church is making it a little easier for some Clanton Intermediate School students.

Members of the children’s ministry, ZIP, along with other church and community members, have been busy filling backpacks with school supplies for third, fourth and fifth grade students at CIS.

The “Pack to School” project is meant to provide students with the necessary items on their school supply lists.

The backpacks will be distributed at West End Baptist Church on Saturday, Aug. 2, from 9 a.m.-12 p.m. on a first-come, first-served basis.

Youth Minister Kenny Martin invited anyone with a child that attends Clanton Intermediate to pick up a backpack during the distribution time, and asks that all participants bring their children to choose his or her backpack.

West End Baptist is accepting donations for this project, and anyone wishing to help the cause may also pick up a supply list from West End Baptist and return a backpack filled with school supplies to the church by Wednesday, July 30.

Martin said he and his youth group got the idea for the project after visiting a church in Atlanta who had a similar mission.

“The goal of Pack to School is to do something for the community,” Martin said. “We have several children in our ministry attending Clanton Intermediate, so we decided to make that school our focus for this project.”

As of Wednesday, the ministry had prepared 74 backpacks, equipped with supplies such as paper, notebooks, pencils, Kleenex, crayons and much more.

The ministry received about $1,000 in donations from the church, allowing the group to near their goal of 100 backpacks.

Event organizer Jessica Martin said she enjoyed the task of searching for deals and making extensive shopping trips to fulfill the lengthy supply lists.

Once the supplies were purchased, it was the kids’ job to organize and fill the backpacks.

The ZIP children’s ministry is comprised of kids in pre-school through sixth grade.

“The younger kids enjoyed packing the backpacks or even just holding them open for the older kids,” Jessica Martin said. “It was a group effort. They are helping others while also learning the value of giving.”

In addition to the “Pack to School” mission, ZIP also supplies children with Christmas gifts during its “Operation Christmas Child” program.

Kenny Martin said he and the church are praying for the “Pack to School” project to become an annual success, just as the Christmas project has proven to be.

“If we have the means to do something as simple as pack a backpack for kids, we are going to do that,” Martin said. “We want to supply the need of our community and let the kids know that we are here for them.”

For more information on the “Pack to School” project, contact West End Baptist Church at 205-755-0625.