by Jose Hernandez | November 21, 2025 8:00 am
HANNIBAL – Donna Blake and other volunteers from the Hannibal Backpack Program will be giving community members a chance to get affordable Christmas decorations during Hannibal Country Christmas. The event will be held at 326 Church St. Hannibal, NY from 10 AM to 3 PM.
Last year, the program decided to add its Christmas decoration program to the list of Hannibal Country Christmas Participants. Their idea was to have people donate their gently used Christmas decorations, and then give them to community members for a donation.
“We have so many generous donations that we start getting things out and decorating the Hannibal Community church on November 1st. The whole church community participates and puts up a Christmas wonderland for an entire month,” said Blake.
People will be able to pick out decorations they like and take them for a donation. There will be a wide assortment of decorations to choose from, including nativity sets, lights, and lawn decorations. Anyone in need of affordable Christmas decorations are encouraged to visit and browse.
“The idea is to provide you with what you need at a reasonable price,” said Blake. After browsing, people are encouraged to visit their Santa to make their Christmas wishes.
The Hannibal Backpack Program began 10 years ago by Hannibal Community Church and Journey of Faith United Methodist Church. They provide food for children in the Hannibal community.
“The Hannibal Backpack Program was started 10 years ago, when teachers in the district began to report that several of their students were returning to school on Monday morning, hungry,” said Blake. “At the time, parents could apply for free breakfast and lunch for their children, but that was little help on the weekend or over school breaks and days off.”
The program started with a budget of roughly $1,500 and packed 35 bags per week. They had enough funding for only half the year, but were able to finish it with help from donors.
10 years later, the program has a budget of around $24,000 a year. They currently pack 145 bags per week for Fairley Elementary School. Extra food is provided on every day there is no school.
They also provide in-school snacks at Dennis M. Kenney Middle School and Hannibal High School.
“Every week, the bag includes 8 basic items, instant oatmeal, cereal, Easy Mac, peanut butter, fruit, pudding, granola bar, crackers, and cheese,” said Blake, “items are added for extra days, such as applesauce, Chef Boy-R-Dee cups, chicken pouches, Nutra-Grain bars, shelf-stable milk, and fresh fruit. Once a year, we also include a book in each bag.”
Food insecurity is growing as the years go on, and children are primarily affected. According to USADA, 7.2 million children were living in a food-insecure household. Nationwide, schools are adopting food pantries to combat food insecurity. There are over 100,000 schools, and only around 4,000 have a food pantry. The other roughly 90,000 must depend on their community for better food security.
The generosity of Hannibal community members funds this local program. Among them are local Churches such as Hannibal Community Church, Journey of Faith United Methodist Church, Hannibal Methodist Church, Bowens Corners United Methodist Church, and Sterling Valley Community Church. Local businesses and grant money are also a part of funding.
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