Charles “Bob” Kieffer had a strong love for children. For many years he served as the Sunday School Superintendent at the Delaware Run Wesleyan Church and referred to the children as “his little buddies.” He and his wife, Brenda, served and cared for and loved children.

When he died in 1998, members of the church wanted to find a way to pay tribute to “Bob” and his love of children. So, they developed a giveaway program that benefited children called “Bob’s Buddies.”

According to the Rev. Jane Johnson, assistant pastor and director of the Delaware Run Wesleyan Church, the church has been a contributor to the Backpack Project, and Lunch in the Park Project in the Warrior Run School District for quite some time.

They were then made aware that many children were going to school without proper clothing or footwear — even in the winter months. They decided to expand on the other projects and, before school began, they would supply children with winter coats and school supplies — a free giveaway — “Bob’s Buddies Day.”

As word spread, she said clothes, especially, and school supplies came in from as far away as the state of New York and the Dillsburg/Harrisburg areas, and western Pennsylvania.

On several trips, Brenda Keiffer, coming from her son’s in Harrisburg, had her car trunk and backseat filled with clothes. Marie Taylor explained the project to the Watsontown Dollar General, and they collected supplies for Bob’s Buddies for the last two years.

“We advertised with posters, an interview with Pastor Mike Reece in a local newspaper,” Johnson told Webb Weekly. Several flyers were sent to area churches for their bulletins and bulletin boards. Bob and Brenda’s daughter, Lori Klinger, advertised on the radio and TV.

The donations grew from school supplies and winter coats to backpacks, expanded school supplies, all types of clothing and shoes for school-aged children from kindergarten through high school.

“We began collecting items nine months out of the year. Each month various items were collected, the next month other items collected,” Johnson said.

The Keiffers’ son, Dwayne, and his wife Traci, their children Kimberly and Jason, along with another grandson, Kevin Klinger, and his wife, Johanna, soon became “workers” in this endeavor alongside the church setting up in the weeks before the event.

In addition, the Taylor’s son-in-law, Dr. Jack Divine, was able to schedule a Med-Van from Evangelical Hospital in Lewisburg, where he is employed, to give free mini-physicals on one of our days last year.

“The last two years, they have provided for nearly 500 children. We have served children from Port Trevorton and Mifflinburg to Danville to Lairdsville and Hughesville and many towns surrounding covering about four counties,” said Johnson. “Even after the advertised project days were over, needs kept coming to our attention. We were able to provide for those needs and are committed to continuing, as long as God supplies, leads, and directs us.

“Last year, a family currently living in Spain, was visiting family members that are part of our congregation. They heard of our project, donated, and visited on one of the days of distribution. They were so taken by the free giveaway and the children’s response that they took the idea back to Spain and shared a Bob’s Buddies Day there.”

The folks at Delaware Run Wesleyan are setting up for their Third Annual Bob’s Buddies Day on Saturday, July 25th, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. With the COVID-19 situation; some things are different. There will be no haircuts or Med-Van this year. Also, instead of two days, there will be just the one day. Their collections have been greatly reduced due to closures, etc., but they have some clothing, new and gently used and school supplies. They will give while supplies last, hoping to help as many children as possible.