Jennifer Outen is a hero to children who never see her. She serves our community and Forest Pointe Church faithfully, quietly, and inconspicuously as part of the “BACKPACK FOOD PROGRAM.” And every Saturday and Sunday, I have a vision of her smiling in secret in the quietness of her home with husband Tracy and daughter Jessica because of what she does weekly to make sure that otherwise hungry children have food to eat for the weekend.
In a time when people toot their own horn and tout their accomplishments on Facebook, Twitter, Linked In, Instagram, and every other form of social media “buzz”, Jennifer serves her Savior and the “least of these that He loves” quietly behind the scenes.
The BACKPACK food program began two years ago in our greater community to feed children in a discreet way that would otherwise go hungry without the generosity of others. Forest Pointe partners with other churches and community service organizations to provide nutritious food to children in need. Food is distributed to the church once a month, packed by a group of dedicated volunteers (led by Cindy Horneman, FPC Children’s Director, pictured below) in our children’s ministry, and delivered weekly in rolling containers to the schools where the children are served. Once onsite, the food is discreetly inserted by school professionals into the backpacks of qualified needy children from grades K-12.
Jennifer assumes the responsibility for taking delivery of the food, bringing it to church where it is sorted and packed, and delivers it weekly to children so they can have the food before the weekends. All of these children qualify for free breakfast and lunch during the week at school, so they have at least some food during the week, but without the BACKPACK FOOD PROGRAM, these same children would do without food on the weekend.
Jennifer is an angel in disguise and basks in the glow she feels from the inside while eschewing the limelight. Jesus said that we would encounter people who are hungry and challenged us to feed them. With the challenge to feed the ones who Jesus called “the least of these” comes this blessing- “When you have done it into the least of these, you have DONE IT UNTO ME.” In the days of spiraling fuel prices and people with too little love and time, Jennifer Outen provides the fuel, time, and most of all; love to be our angel of mercy from our church to our community.
With gratitude from a generous church who provide the financial means to provide the food, THANK YOU JENNIFER for being our angel of mercy with your time, care, talents, and treasure!