Students at Payne Elementary School were all smiles Friday as the Selma Edmundite Missions brought more than 300 bags of breakfast food for the children to take home.

For the second week, the missions have supplied the students with nonperishable food items for them to take home and eat Saturday and Sunday for breakfast.

“Nearly all the kids in the public schools in Selma are on either reduced or free lunches. They get breakfast and lunch in school during the week, and we’ve recognized that issue that they probably didn’t have breakfast items for the weekend,” said Chad McEachern, director of the Edmundite Missions. “Since BOSCO is open for lunch and dinner on Saturday and dinner on Sunday, there would be another resource for the families to get additional food if they needed it.”

Aelia Adams, child nutrition program director for Selma City Schools, has been at Payne the past two Friday’s to hand out the food to the students and said it’s a wonderful feeling to see the children excited about the program.

“I had the opportunity to go from classroom to classroom … and it was very exciting,” Adams said. “A lot of our kids during the weekend, might not get breakfast.”

Tarurus Smith, principal at Payne, said she was happy to know that her students were being taken care of for the weekend.

“I’m extremely excited,” Smith said. “I’m glad that it was allowed to happen at our school and it’s going to be a great benefit for our students.”

McEachern said giving the children the food is the most exciting part of the program.

“I think what’s amazing is when you see kids that are excited for food, and I think that it really just highlights the importance of something that many of us take advantage of each day and when they take that home, they know that they’re going to be OK,” he said. “I think in another way, it lets them know that someone cares, that they’re not alone and that they have people in the community that truly care about their wellbeing and their family.”

The program, which has never been done in Selma before according to McEachern, is being funded through the Edmundite Missions’ fundraisers and is expected to cost about $38,000 for the entire school year.

“It’s really a wonderful thing,” McEachern said. “We like to be present in all aspects of what’s happening in this community and we certainly have a great desire to see our children succeed and be strong and healthy, and this is just another way for us to give back to the community and help ensure our future is bright through these children.”