PACK THE BACKPACKS

Good morning, good morning, good morning, welcome, welcome Welcomedia's time now for our community connection. Right here on K one, the one you trust, the Yellow Brigade is in here with pack the backpacks we have w andwie. How are we doing? W Andwi?

We're doing great?

Well? Super what we got cooking? I know school is just around the corner. It seems like they just got out it does it.

Very much feels like.

So we're almost done with taking applications, almost almost.

Because I remember when we kicked that off a few weeks.

Ago, yes week. Tuesday is the final day. Next Tuesday, the fifteenth is the final day for applications. We have them online at our website www. Not packdbackpacks dot org. Organ or Today we will be at agape Mission from eleven to one thirty if you want to come and fill out your application in person.

Wow.

And then next Monday we'll be at Mary Martha Outreach from nine to eleven and those will be your last two chances for and concern. We're also there from on Monday from eleven to one, so three more chances to do it in person and just a few more days to do it online.

My goodness, sakes, and what are we up to? Just about three thousand kids?

We actually have two one hundred okay after now.

Okay, wow, okay, that's amazing. And this is all of Washington County. This just isn't.

Bartlesbook Gres that is correct, all right.

So we got Dewey, we got Caney Valley, we got oh wow.

We got Panpan Yeah.

Wow, my goodness, sakes. Now the shopping has been taking place, and it started to taking place the day after they.

Got out of school, well, the day after we stopped packing last year.

Oh, it is year round. So what's it like being a bargain hunter? Extraordinary?

Excellent question.

We depend a lot on each other, telling each other what deals there are and where we can go and what we can get.

Some places like Staples have a limit of like thirty of each item that a single person.

Can get, So we'll get what we can and then let everybody else know.

Wow. We now do you have your your crew set for the assembly line?

We are working on that. Also on the website and our Facebook page, we have a link to sign up genius, where we are going to be getting all the extra volunteers we need for the final week.

My goodness, this is like a well oiled machine. I understand. I'm not seeing it in person. I got to do that someday, but I understand that every time you get new folks in they adapt to it pretty quickly.

Yeah, we have a training so when they come in, we've show them what they're doing, and then trial by fire we send them out there. And yeah, it's very well structured, so there's not a whole lot of opportunity.

To fail as long as they follow instructions.

That's what I've been told since the get go right.

And the great thing about this opportunity for volunteering is that families are welcome. The children love to do the backpacks they do and they get to go through the line just like everybody else and get to pack one or as many as they want while they're there. So it's we have a lot of families from around the area, and some of them will even come. Even if they move out, sometimes they'll come back and say, hey, we love this so much that we want to do it again.

Well, you know, it becomes it just becomes a thing with the family. It's like this year where this is what we do every year. We're going to keep on doing it until we can do it no longer. And that's a really a good thing, you know. It shows that you know, you got a good heart, absolutely, and also you just want to help out the cause of our teachers and kids everywhere.

Right. Yeah, people are surprised all the time when they come and they can actually physically see all the backpacks lined up, and it's.

It's a little overwhelming.

You can see tables upon tables, and both on the top of the table and on the.

Bottom beneath the table just rose and rose and rose of backpacks.

Well, that would just that would bowl me over. I'm trying to envision that right now. It kind of escaped my imagination, but like again, I'll see this someday. But wow. Yeah, And where do you do this.

We do the packing and the distribute distribution at Saint Luke's Episcopal Church downtown and that we pretty much take over the whole first flour They're very generous, really extremely.

Generous with that is great.

And so our first packing event will be Thursday, July thirty first, from six to nine pm or six to eight Yes, So that's our first one for the families to come to sign up. And then because we want to try to do it at different times so people that work can come and people that have other things. And so the next one is the next morning at nine o'clock or nine thirty. I think we said hi.

And sign up genius. It still says nine to twelve, okay.

Nine to twelve, and then we're gonna break for lunch and do it from one thirty to three thirty that same day, and then Saturday morning will be the finale of packing.

Stick a bow on it.

We're going to get it all done from nine to noon on Saturday.

That is incredible. How long this been going on?

Over twenty years?

Oh wow?

They actually got the five and one C three in two thousand and nine, but had been doing it through other in a smaller way before that.

Now, are both of you educators, I know, well.

Unless you count Sunday school.

Oh okay. But as an educator, this helps in so many ways I understand, because everyone's ready to learn.

Absolutely.

One of the biggest hits that kids can get is coming to school unprepared, not having what they need, and kind of starting off being behind their peers. So socially, it's great for students to be able to walk in everything they need. And we're pretty unique in how we handle it because we actually take each individual school list so at the school and grade level that they're in,

Well that that is so good. And the kids don't know a difference, you know, they all they know is that they're going to school and they're getting they're getting ready to learn, and they don't have to feel like they're kind of single down or anything. That's a that's a good benefit. I can kind of speak from experience

Something new today, right, and hopefully every day.

And well yeah, you know, every day kids will surprise you. You never know what it's going to take to turn on that little light and they have that aha moment. Next thing you know, they start excelling in things. So it's wonderful good hearted folks do, and good hearted things back to backpacks? Where can we find out more about everything that we've just discussed maybe some future things. Do you have a you we've talked about the website, correct, and now do we have a Facebook paged?

Yes, we do, and it's just called Washington County School Supply Drive. Okay, that's our face, that's our formal name, and that's where the Facebook page is. Great. So we also have a fundraiser coming up.

Well, there you go. What you got.

We're going to be at Freddy's on July twenty third from five to nine.

What will we do there at Freddy's in order to help you help with other kids?

Mention that you're with pack the backpacks and our fundraiser okay, yeah, and.

Eat any a portion of the proceeds we'll.

Go to the Yes, the group. Yes, it is a special night for us.

What a delicious way to make a difference. Absolutely, Maybe give me the.

Shaken Yeah, don't forget the custard.

Oh, Collie, Collie, that is so good stuff. Wow.

Okay, in the date again, July twenty third.

July twenty third, all right, that's coming.

Up specifically from five to nine pm.

Five to nine, yes, okay, go to supper twice. If you can make it count for the kids.

That's right, bring your family and friends.

That is wonderful. I understand the Army's one did pretty good too. Yes, I think I think you found a delicious little routine in order to maybe, yeah, help I take the edge off as far as some of the costs and everything.

Right later in the fall, we're going to have another bingo.

Oh yeah, we're at the fair runs.

No, it'll be at Saint Lo Saint looks okay, So that's going to be October twenty fifth, So more details coming, all right.

That means you'll be back right yeah.

Yeah.

In indeed, the Yellow Shirt Brigade returns, so we can talk about that and get everybody all jacked up for BINGO. Great Debbie, Debbie, I want to thank you both for being here today and telling us about pack the backpacks, and of course the three in person opportunities and the online opportunity to get signed up and how we can help a friendies on the twenty.

Third from five to nine.

All right, very good, Thank you very much for coming in today. Appreciate it.

Thank you