THANK YOU – THANK YOU – THANK YOU!
A short while ago I learned about the Regional Food Bank’s Backpack Program that helps to feed children in and around the capital region. It’s actually quite extensive & very impressive. The Regional Food Bank actually feeds approximately 1100 children each week throughout the school year. Every friday, children who have been identified for the program are sent home with a bag of food in their backpack for the weekend. I fell in love with the idea of this program immediately & was compelled to help after serving smoothies at an inner city event, which has its own story for another time. When I called Betsy Dickson, the coordinator for the program, she had requested support for one of their larger distribution centers that feeds 120 children at one location each week.
My goal was to recruit 30 bags with my children & then invite 9 people to join me who in turn would invite 10 people to contribute a bag & together we would collect 120 bags. However, over the weekend and throughout the morning I was left in awe of all who stepped up to support The Regional Food Bank & the children who benefit from this wonderful program….because, together….we collected just under 400 bags of food. This would never have been possible without everyone who stepped up and contributed their time and energy . Amazing things can happen when we all work together….here are some of the people who helped to make the magic happen & used their creative forces to spread the word…
Kristi Gustafson Barlette form the Times Union put out a request to readers at her blog, which was FANTASTIC. This morning I showed up to snap a few shots & the Regional Food Bank came with a special van, because THANK YOU to the readers, the Times Union collected approximately 250 bags of food, plus some excess, plus donations for the Regional Food Bank! THANK YOU Kristi & THANK YOU to all who responded to Kristi’s share about the program & the collection 
. It was all a wonderful & unexpected surprise…
Meet Holly, my hairdresser & the owner of Nuance Salon. She put out a request to clients & they collected over 20 bags of food .
My daughter asked all of her previous teachers & the principal of her school to contribute, which was a fun way for her to get involved
(this is her former first grade teacher ).
Our friend Cathleen invited her entire class & their families to join in the bag packing fun .
Meet my friend Laura & her daughters, Julia & Mia, who packed quite a few bags themselves as well as invited family & friends to assist.
My friend Kelli invited her Sunday School Class of ‘tweenage’ girls & their families to participate & then created and entire lesson on giving .
My new friend Cathy & her daughter Eliza joined in & asked friends and family to support the program.
We connected as mother’s wanting to inspire our daughters to get involved in supporting community efforts & I’m so pleased to have made this connection .
My long time friend Micha, a physician at Ellis Hospital, recruited the staff of nurses to help out with the program .
Her kids helped to get involved with sorting & packing .
Meet Jodi, who also packed quite a few bags herself & invited families at the Montessori School of Schenectady where she’s the director to join in .
Here is my friend Lisa who also helped & is FANTASTIC!
AND – as I’m putting this post together I’m realizing I didn’t snap two VERY IMPORTANT PHOTO’s – so, I’m hoping to modify this post very soon.
A special thanks to my Aunt Sandra & my intern Jenna who also coordinated 10 bags each…I can’t believe I didn’t have my camera ready!!!!
And, last but not least…thanks to our family, friends & neighbors who contributed to the drive & to all of the individuals who supported each person listed above who stepped up to make the ask….it’s all been unexpectedly amazing and fun to be a part of the process.
The Regional Food Bank is wrapping up this year’s backpack program for this school year, but I will be sharing more in September & if you want to get involved simply send me a note …..
