Youths from 25 Baptist churches across the area gathered in Suffolk on Saturday to help ease the burden for needy families of elementary school-age children.

As part of Blackwater Church Association’s annual “Youth Encounter,” held at YMCA Camp Arrowhead on Kenyon Road this year, between 130 and 150 young church members packed 20,000 meals.

The “Love in a Backpack” program, according to association administrator Nancy Greene, will provide weekend meals for families of students attending public elementary schools in Suffolk, Isle of Wight and Southampton.

“Guidance counselors work with us to select families to receive backpacks,” Greene said.

The backpack meals feed six people, she said. The large gathering of Baptist youths on Saturday put together more than 3,300 meal packs.

The meals were either macaroni and cheese, or rice, both based on soy-mixes, Greene said.

The students were mostly from sixth through 12th grade, Greene said, adding, “Some of them have small brothers and sisters” helping.

An adult or two also helped keep things moving along the assembly lines.

Preparing relief packages following the earthquake in Haiti was the last time the association worked on a meal-packing project, Greene said. She seemed surprised at how quickly the youths on Saturday were getting the job done.

“We started at about 1:15 (p.m.) and we should be done in the next 30 minutes,” she said about 2:45 p.m. “They have been really quick. They have a system going.”

After the meals were packed, the children were let loose to enjoy Camp Arrowhead’s activities and facilities, like the climbing wall.

Then the students were to regroup for dinner and a worship service led by Old Dominion University Baptist Collegiate Ministry.

The ministry band was to entertain the youths with contemporary worship music, Greene said.

“I’m excited,” said Karissa Schuermann, a teen from Franklin Baptist. “It’s been a really fun day.”

Greene said the backpacks would make a big difference in the lives of many families before the end of the school year.

“We are hoping that for families that are impacted by food insecurity, this will help them the last couple of weeks of school,” she said.

“For the next 12 weeks, the backpack program will be available to them every weekend.”