Tuesday on Lubbock's First News, Donna and Larry Walker with the Lakeridge United Methodist Church in Lubbock spoke about their efforts behind Change for Children.

Change for Children is a program that the Walkers began in 2007 with helping one child have the opportunity to eat when it was discovered he could not afford a lunch. Since then, the program has grown to include seven middle schools and one elementary school, with about $75,000 donated to schools in Frenship, Lubbock Cooper, and Lubbock school districts. After the first child, the Walkers realized more children may not have access to food and that hungry children have a need in many schools. They went to the school counselors to begin identifying children with this need and encouraged them to get involved.

Change for Children raises money that will provide food for middle school children, as well as their families in some cases. Some of the funds provide backpacks that children can take home over weekends that will provide enough food for themselves and their families. The supplies for these are gathered by the counselors at each school. The program encourages children to perform better in school and to help with other issues by addressing hunger.

To raise awareness of the need of these children and what the program is doing to help, a handbell concert will be held Sunday, April 6, at 6:00 p.m. at the Lakeridge United Methodist Church sanctuary. The fundraising goal of this concert is $10,000. The contributions made will go toward "breaking the cycle of poverty in middle schools."

For more information, listen to the full interview:

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