Get Some Kids to Carry Things in Bags!

All,

We delivered backpacks, filled with school supplies and love to deliver to kids who will need them at Longfellow Middle School through the amazing generosity of New Life McLean folks and other people in our community of friends... here's a note from our fearless leader, Dwaine Darrah - just wanted to share this! ~E

Gang,

What a huge fun thing. We just delivered all 43, fully-stacked, backpacks to Longfellow Middle School this morning. It was great to have several of you pop over to lend a hand. It was grand. Principal Carole Kihm and her assistant principal dropped in to hang and chat. We had a chance to meet other key people in the Student Services Department, including Gail Bigio, its director. They were all just blown away that we took this project on, and they talked on and on about how much this means to the kids.

For example, they had a backpack last year that someone dropped off that was covered in ants and bugs, so the school just threw it in the trash. They later found one of the "at risk" students digging it out of the trash bin because it was the only backpack available to him. So, to get brand-new backpacks filled with al the school supplies is just so important to helping the kids get off to a good start in the school year.

We also put into each backpack a bottle of water with the New Life logo on it.

It was also fun to let everyone know what a collaborative effort this was this year. I told them that New Life McLean, the True Light Christian Church (the Korean congregation that meets in our building on Sunday afternoons), P4C, R-TEK, and the Songwriters' Association of Washington all banded together to make this happen.

Carole Kihm went on to say that they are looking to do even more to partner with us once all the construction is finished at the school, which the contractors are now saying should happen in January 2012. So, stay tuned for more opportunities to love on the school and the students.

A final cool story. . .As we left, Gail Bigio was walking down the hallways with two huge backpacks strapped across her shoulders. She was telling everyone she could find about the backpacks and New Life and the organizations who helped.

I love this job!!! Thanks to everyone at New Life McLean who joined in to make this happen!!! and you guys at SAW, True Light, R-TEK, and P4C are the bestest!!



dwaine