Julie Davis – Brian Bowen Snack Sax going strong

In operation since 2009, the Brian Bowen Snack Sax is a school outreach program named after the late Brian Bowen. Bowen was a member of Perry United Methodist Church who strongly believed in the program when it started in 2009. After Bowen passed away, the program was named for him because of his heart and dedication.

Brian Bowen Snack Sax is a program designed to reach out to elementary students in Houston County. At the beginning of each school year, elementary school officials will talk to and get to know the students in their classrooms and inform the program directors of the students in need at their school. The program puts together nutritional meals to hand to these children as they are leaving schools on Thursdays and Fridays so that they have a guaranteed source of nutrition for their weekend. During the 2018-2019 school year, Brian Bowen Snack Sax handed out 356 snack sax each week to elementary students from three schools: Matt Arthur Elementary, Tucker Elementary and Morningside Elementary.

Julie Davis, a member of Perry United Methodist Church, is the current coordinator for this program beginning earlier this year. The program’s many volunteers, according to Davis, saw a need and their persistence and dedication was impressive to her as well as inspiring.

“It’s been led by some really great people who have really established it and gotten it going. There are so many people that make this thing work. It really is amazing and it was so impressive when I first began to learn just how many people it takes to make it happen. It’s really impressive,” Davis said.

Volunteers for the program have a variety of jobs when involved in the program. They are responsible for the purchase of the food as well as the process of packing each individual sack and transporting them to their intended schools.

“When you think about it, every week you are packing and delivering 356 individual brown paper sacks to students and so there are people who purchase the food, unload the food, unpack the food, repack the food, put it in sacks, put in their cars and deliver it to schools. In the schools, they actually do the handing out to the students,” Davis stated.

The program knows that providing something of nutritional value is also critical. Davis noted that the program purchases nutritious but also shelf stable food that will not spoil easily. Even critical elements of a child’s diet such as protein and milk are provided as the program has a means of acquiring these products in a shelf stable form.

“We deliver the sacks Thursday or Friday and it goes home with the student over the weekend,” said Davis. “We do our best to send things that are nutritious. You know it has got to be shelf stable so that it won’t spoil, but there is a lot available through the food bank and things that you can purchase are nutritious.”

The program is strongly supported by those within and outside of the Perry area and has the participation of several local churches and organizations that donate time, money and volunteers to seeing that this program is a success each year. Some of these organizations include the Zaltana Club and Balvaunuca Club in Perry, which have supported the program during this calendar year.

“From a financial standpoint, I’ve really been humbled by how many have supported it financially. We’ve had several gifts just this year from community organizations that just hear what we’re doing and want to be a part of it” Davis stated. “They understand how important it is that elementary aged kids who might not get food otherwise to have something healthy to eat over the weekend.”

Thanks to the support of many local churches and organizations in Perry and outside of Perry, Davis noted that the program will not turn anyone away that is in need of what they offer. She encourages anyone interested in volunteering for the program to contact her for more information.