Change A Child's Life

That's what we did in 2007... our first  Backpack event...Operation: 1,000 Backpacks 2007

I was stunned to learn how much of an impact one backpack made on a young man. According to the school administrator, when the BPs were distributed to youngsters in the Bronx last August, one 6th grade boy didn't understand.  This young man, I was told, has been bounced around from foster home to foster home his whole life and did not have the ability or capacity to comprehend someone doing something nice for him...for NOTHING IN RETURN! That had never happened to him before...EVER!

I was told that before he received his Backpack, he was quite introverted and always sad.  He became fascinated with the idea that there are kind people out here. He asked a question, then another, then 20 or 30 more. The teachers and counselors were amazed by his curiosity. He now takes part in all activities, has become pretty popular and is happy for the first time in his life!

Imagine me when I received the phone call telling me this.  "Do you want to know whose name was on the luggage tag?" I was asked.  "No, that's unimportant. This belongs to every one of us", I replied.

Even if the other 999 Backpacks got kicked aside and never used, all of our hard work was worth it. I wonder how many other stories there are like that one.