One of 21 local recipients of McDonald’s grants

RLB Ministries, the non-profit umbrella organization of the Backpack Buddies program through Campbell Chapel Freewill Baptist Church, was recently awarded a $1,000 grant through the McDonald’s of the Tri-State Community Grants Program.

The grant program awards local organizations for programs that support youth and recreation, beautification, support for seniors or support of the arts in the Tri-State area.

Its goal is to encourage local organizations to implement programs that improve their communities. RLB Ministries was one of 21 chosen as a recipient of the grant.

RLB Ministries will use the grant for Backpack Buddies, which provides food for more than 300 children in 15 local schools.

“Backpack Buddies is truly honored to have received the McDonald’s of the Tri-State Community Grant,” Jodie Hunt, director of Backpack Buddies, said. “It will be a huge help to the start of our 2017-2018 school year.”

Backpack Buddies provides children with bags containing two breakfast items, two entrees and two snacks for the weekend when they leave school on Friday. It also operates an emergency food pantry, making it easy for families to obtain food to meet immediate needs.

Local McDonald’s owner/operator Steve Cielec recently presented the check and plaque to Hunt, signifying the honor for RLB Ministries and Backpack Buddies.

“Backpack Buddies is working very hard to end hunger in our community,” Hunt said. “And we are very thankful for all of the community support that is given to us.”

McDonald’s of the Tri-State area is comprised of 93 restaurants in eastern Kentucky, southeastern Ohio and central and southern West Virginia, and 100 percent of of the restaurants in this area are independently owned and operated by local franchisees.