outdoors travel

There are several sites on the web
that describe programs that provide backpacks full of school supplies to needy children
and backpacks full of toiletries and other necessities for wounded military personnel and for victims of disasters.

A sixteen year old girl
with the help of her Mom and some friends
bought 200 backpacks and filled them with toiletries and other necessities for the victims of Huuricane Katrina. They did this with their own funds except for a wonderful donor who provided the money for shipping the backpacks to the affected area.

There are several church groups all over the country
that have programs which provide backpacks stuffed with all sorts of school supplies
such as notebooks
pens
pencils
paper
crayons
markers
glue and whatever other school supplies they can think of to include. Some scout and youth groups are picking up on and joining this effort.

One program run by couple in California
supplies the children of migrant workers with backpacks and school supplies. They run the program form their garage. They also help poor migrant workers with things like food
clothing
housing and job assistance. A 10 year-old boy in Boca Raton Florida
dreamed up a way to help children in his area.

He began to fill backpacks with school supplies for kids who needed them. By the time he was 11
he had a real organization
and had qualified as a charity under IRS rules. The group donates backpacks loaded with notebooks
paper
pencils
glue and other essentials
to schools and charities
all over the state of Florida
that ask for them.

The young man says that if they tell him kids need the packs
“that’s good enough for me.” The word about this group spread quickly among corporations and non-profit organizations. Corporate foundations
local companies
his Dad’s clients and family and friends all donated cash and supplies. By the time this kid was sixteen he had managed to distribute over 8
0
loaded backpacks.

One of the nations leading office supply companies donated most of the backpacks they have donated about $257
0
in cash and supplies. The young man had enlisted 20 of his friends to help fill the packs
and to personalize them

and by writing the names of recipients on the luggage tags attached to each pack. The boy’s mom dad
and half-brother all help
and are officers in the organization
however he writes all his own appeal letters.

The last we knew he was worried about finding a successor
since he was heading off to college. He was worrying that the organization would have to shutdown. This would be a great loss
not only to the kids in need
but also to the rest of us
who no matter what our age
can learn from his example. In cities and towns all over the U.S. churches
civic groups
and individuals have been donating backpack with school stuff to kids and packs with toiletries and other items to adults in areas affected by hurricanes Katrina and Rita. They have no idea what a sign of hope these things are to us.