1st Annual Tater Trot
Published April 13, 2013 | 
What a fantastic day! Over 50 community volunteers came together in unity to bless our community families by sorting and bagging over 10,000 lbs. of potatoes!!
Check out this post and view our photo gallery.
Charleston Daily Mail Article
Published April 4, 2013 | 
Hunger is never the children’s fault
My husband, Daniel, and I are founders of Kidz Power Pacs. We were born and raised right in Berkeley County.
Returning from El Salvador in 2007, we began working with area churches and our schools in helping feed families that were recommended through the schools.
Stories were shared that children were coming in starving on Mondays, rush to the lunchrooms barely chewing their food, or hide rolls in their pockets to save for that night.
Doing ministry, we get many people who look solely for the negative, stating that it’s the parents’ fault or that they have food stamps.
Our response is that it’s not the child’s fault. The bottom line is that we have been called to feed them. In most cases we have witnessed, the parents are trying.
We know this because our family has been there. We were doing well until my husband became ill, almost passed away in 2010, had six surgeries throughout the year, lost our home and wondered where our next meal was coming from.
We were now one of “those” families we had been helping for years. We were unable to get help, as we fell in that “gray area” – zero income, yet we had too many assets to qualify.
There are stereotypes about those living off the system. There are some, but many more just needing a hand up, a little hope and knowing someone cares enough to help.
The children receiving Kidz Power Pacs are coming in on Mondays not starving, not hiding their food in their pockets. They are in much better moods, which means less behavioral problems and best of all better grades.
Our feeding program has made such a difference over the years. Imagine the leaps and bounds we could make if the other meals were available?
If our children receive the food they need, parents’ stress and guilt are lessened, and parents are educated on the simple things in life through our ministry workshops, we will all see a greater, stronger, and smarter West Virginia.
The KPP program doesn’t pull from any food bank resources. All we are asking for is a little help with the school breakfast and lunches in the schools.
Diana Wall
Martinsburg
Wall is community coordinator for Community Combined Ministries Inc. in Berkeley County.
KPP Summer Program
Published March 31, 2013 | The KPP summer program will continue at Eagle School Intermediate using HIS Food Ministry.
Please note time change to compensate for truck arrival.
We need teams to volunteer on these days to pack and meet the families in different areas of the two counties.
Please let us know if you are willing to help.
(Truck times may vary through out the summer. Up-to-date information will be posted here and on our Facebook Page)
Eagle School Intermediate
730 Eagle School Road (heading North past Big Lots) Martinsburg, WV
EAGLE SCHOOL DIRECTIONS/MAP
Come to the “back parking lot” to enter. Proceed straight down hall to cafeteria.
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May 24th — 4:30PM unload and prep food for 25th
May 25th — 9AM for prayer, 10 am packing
June 29th — 9:30AM for prayer, 10AM packing
July 27th — 9:30AM for prayer, 10AM packing
August 31st — 9:30AM for prayer, 10AM packing
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COLLECTING:
• Large Bags of Cereal
• Peanut Butter (Plastic Jars)
• Toothpaste (Regular Size Tubes)
• 24-Pack Crayons
• Glue Sticks
• Children’s Scissors
• Erasers
CCM Re-Launch
Published March 30, 2013 | Happy Easter! Please keep checking back as we are re-launching our website.
Events
Published March 30, 2013 | Our Children, Our Future Forum
March 16, 2013
Westview Baptist Church
Martinsburg, WV
Over 100 gathered on March 16, 2013 at Westview Baptist Church in Martinsburg, WV for “Our Children, Our Future” Forum on Childhood poverty.
Hearts, eyes and ears were opened to multiple issues concerning childhood poverty. Many topics were addressed while local legislators shared and thought provoking testimonies were given.
Churches, outreaches, and local agencies gathered under one roof to network and freely share resources that can be shared with families needing a “hand up.”
The BIG picture is though. We can quote statics, do research, and have group meetings, which is all needed and helpful, BUT if we don’t act now and reach out, slowing down our busy lives to show just one person we care and restore HOPE into their lives, then it is all just talk with no action.
We need to work together to tear down walls and seek God. We need to ask Him where He wants us to go. It’s not about where we want to go or what we want to gain. It’s about seeking Him first and allowing Him to lead in everything we do.
True poverty has many faces… it’s the loss of HOPE, feeling defeated, thinking there is no where to turn, having a lack of knowledge and unable to break the bondage.
It’s time to BREAK the BONDAGE and generational poverty!!! There is only one way to do this and we pray all will come on board and help to TRANSFORM our communities!! We have faith it can and will change!
Join us!
Your Four State.com Event Coverage
KPP Schedule
Published March 30, 2013 | 2013 KPP Packing Schedule
DATES/TIMES:
FRIDAY – April 26th @ 4:30PM “unload and prep”
SATURDAY – April 27th 9AM “prayer”, 10AM “packing”
LOCATION:
Eagle School Intermediate
730 Eagle School Road, Martinsburg, WV
(Come to the back parking lot and enter through the cafeteria door)
The KPP summer program dates will be announced once the last day of school is determined.
Please continue to help and spread the word through the summer!
There is ALWAYS a need.
Journal News Article
Published January 7, 2013 | 
January 7, 2013
Empowering Communities
to Help Relieve Hunger
MARTINSBURG – Community Combined Ministries (CCM) with the Kidz Power Pacs (KPP) program wants to take this opportunity to say “thank you” for your many, many blessings in 2012. Thanks to the Berkeley and Jefferson County communities for their generous offerings of prayers, time, helping hands, food drives and donations.
The organization and communities were able to feed hundreds of children throughout both counties every weekend, while they were on school breaks, and even over the summer when they were not receiving any breakfast or lunch at all.
CCM was founded in June 2012, but the vision God gave the director of feeding families and their children has been in effect for more than five years. This group has been working with local churches and schools to help feed children and their families since 2007.
Once a month at Eagle School Intermediate, it is a wonderful sight to see many churches of all denominations, local community businesses, many nonprofit organizations, adults and children alike come together to pack more than 1,200 KPP bags. It’s not about one church, one person or one business, but about the combined community united together being His hands and showing His love.
The Pacs consist of seven meals, including snacks and drinks, and are sent home weekly for those children who don’t have enough food to get them through the weekend. With the current and foreseeable economic conditions, the need continues to increase. The KPP program is not based on free and reduced lunch, because so many families right now fall in that gray area. KPP is here to help all families that could use this extra help until they can get back on their feet. KPP solely depends on food drives and monetary donations from sponsors because we strictly buy in bulk. The group does not take from the area food bank resources.
CCM also offers a discount food program, which has a new menu that comes out monthly to help get more food into the homes of families. “HIS Food” Ministry supplies CCM with a new menu, and there are no qualifications to order. For more information and details on HIS Food, check out CCM’s website at www.communitycombined.org.
Each year the children are given the opportunity to celebrate Christmas with the KPP volunteer and sponsor teams. This year’s Christmas celebration was a blast. More than 160 children and their fam
ilies turned out to celebrate Christmas. The evening consisted of free games, food, crafts, music/dancing, toys, clothing items, the reading of the Christmas story and, of course, free pictures with Santa for all the children and their families. Each family left the party with a grocery bag full of food items for a Christmas meal. All the children, guests and volunteers had a wonderful time.
The next KPP packing is scheduled for Jan. 26 at Eagle School Intermediate. The community is encouraged to come help pack. We start at 9 a.m. with prayer and packing starts at 10 a.m. Come and take part in His work. Bring the whole family, and you are sure to have a ton of fun.
CCM and KPP would not be possible without their faithful sponsors, volunteers, the approval of both Berkeley and Jefferson County school boards and the awesome principals and counselors at each of the schools that they serve.
CCM would like to take this opportunity to thank and recognize all the anonymous and individual community sponsors, the listed churches, businesses and nonprofits, and Berkeley and Jefferson County Schools.
Churches: Bedington United Methodist Church, Darkesville United Methodist, Fellowship Church of the Brethren, First Baptist Church, Little Falls Presbyterian Church, Greensburg United Methodist, Harmony United Methodist, Harvest Pointe Community Church, House of Prayer Church of God, Martinsburg Church of Christ, Marvin Chapel United Methodist, Mount Wesley United Methodist, New Hope Church, Pikeside United Methodist, Redeeming Grace Fellowship, Trinity United Methodist Women’s Group, Valley View Chapel, Westview Baptist Church, Moler Avenue Church of the Brethren.
Businesses: Five Below, 9 West Hair Studio, Appletown Auction, Capitol Vein & Laser Centers (Dr. Rosenburg), City Hospital, FedEx Smart Post, Hard Rock Ice Cream and Delights, Jefferson Memorial Hospital, Jefferson Security Bank, Kid’s World, Printing Impressions, Target.
Nonprofits: Bikers Against Child Abuse (BACA),Berkeley Community Pride, Bunker Hill CEOS, Car Care Ministry, Furry Ministries, Lady Appleseeds, Spring Mills Women’s Club, The Forgiveness Band.
Berkeley County School Staff: Marlowe Elementary, Spring Mills Primary, Potomack Intermediate, Bedington Elementary, Rosemont Elementary, Eagle School Intermediate, Bunker Hill Elementary, Inwood Primary.
Jefferson County School Staff: Harpers Ferry Middle, Wildwood Middle, Charles Town Middle, T.A Lowery, CW Shipley, South Jefferson, Blue Ridge Elementary, Blue Ridge Primary.
Thank you all again for an amazing 2012, and we are excited and looking forward to an amazing 2013.
Check us out at www.communitycombined.org or Facebook at www.facebook.com/CommunityCombinedMinistries.
For more information, contact Diana Wall at 304-268-8778.
