How We Learned Today: Packing School Backpacks

(Note: I am very far behind on writing these blogs, so I'm going to keep working on getting "caught up" while throwing a few things in that are out of order as I go. I was hoping to keep these chronological, as a diary of sorts for the kids and I to read when they're grown, but at this point, I can only remember so many things and my brain is starting to hurt...)

Two days after we got home from Spirit West Coast, we got the chance to volunteer at one of our favorite charities, The Family Giving Tree. They do a huge gift drive for Christmas, but they do a smaller, much less well-known back-to-school drive in July and August. Considering that we no longer have any reason to buy backpacks, lunch boxes, or school supplies, it's kind of a fun way to get our fill of adorable puppy folders, cool backpacks with more pockets than we'd know what to do with, and all kinds of cute little things that are partially useful but mostly incredibly fun and cool, like these..

pencil pouches with monster mouths

The Family Giving Tree relies on local businesses to provide empty warehouses for them to work in, and unfortunately this year it's a 35 minute drive from our house. We're still exhausted, but very excited, and the girls get to work straight away as soon as we get there.

We've been going for years to both the backpack and gift drives, so the girls have done just about every job there is and immediately jump right in on their favorite one. To do this job, they grab some backpacks (always using the wagons, which makes it much more fun!) and bring them to one of the tables. On these tables are big posterboards with sections for each item that's supposed to be in the backpack. Our job is to unpack everything in the backpack, place it where it goes, and get any things from the 'store' that may be missing. We also have to take some things out of the backpack that aren't allowed, like Sharpie markers, liquid glue and personal information. Those, along with a few other things, are on the "no-no" list.

The most fun part is seeing the variety of themed school supplies, plus the extras that some really thoughtful people include, such as water bottles, stickers, little toys, and notes of encouragement for the kids that get the backpacks.

These backpacks are then distributed throughout the area, to kids whose families are struggling to buy food, much less crayons, markers, calculators and binder paper. I love thinking about the smiles on these kids' faces when they get these brand new backpacks full of goodies just for them!

In fact, we love doing this so much that we come back again the next day to do it again. They're running a little behind schedule this week, so we offer to come help one more time. I know better than to volunteer three times in a row without a long break in between (done that before!), but we gladly offer two afternoons up there. We can't do any more this week anyway, because we have another vacation to get ready for! :)

heading back from the backpack piles (those are big piles! - and there's a whole row of them for each grade range and for boys/girls, no to mention to the row on the opposite wall of completed packs, and the other room on the other side of this wall with more bags being assembled over there)