We're SO Excited!

This year in addition to distributing backpacks at the Pass Creek Church of God in Allen, the First Church of God in Wounded Knee, and the Calico Community PowWow, we will be working with the non-profit organization RE-MEMBER to distribute backpacks!  

RE-Member is an excellent organization that has been on the Pine Ridge Reservation for several years and does great work serving the basic needs of the Lakota people on the Reservation. 

We are so very honored and excited to be able to partner with them in the effort to get school supplies to more children on the Reservation. 

BIG Thanks to The Rotary Club of West Chester/Liberty

We owe a BIG THANK YOU to the Rotary Club of West Chester/Liberty for the wonderful breakfast and the generous grant of $1000 to Backpacks For Pine Ridge!  

The Rotary Club has been a friend of Backpacks For Pine Ridge for several years now.  This year we are especially excited that two of the Rotary Club members will be going to Pine Ridge Reservation with us to deliver the backpacks! 

Backpack Packing 2010

BIG THANKS to the Cincinnati Teamsters Motorcycle Association and some folks from Winton Rd. First Church of God for coming out to stuff backpacks and pack them! Together we packed 547 backpacks before we ran out of boxes! We'll get more boxes next week and finish the rest for a total of 600!

Click on the pics for a larger view!

Backpack Packing Party 2010

These are just a few of the supplies we'll be packing this Saturday!

Help Needed

We could use your help. We are still in need of 300 boxes of 24 count crayons for the backpacks that will go to the Rez this year. If you want to help out, they can be brought to the Winton Rd. First Church of God in Fairfield during service times or they can be mailed to

Backpacks For Pine Ridge
6468 Kimberly Drive
Hamilton, OH 45011.

Thanks to anyone who can help!

Part 2 of the Interview @ Communitas Collective

Part 2 of the interview at Communitas Collective can be found here

WE Did It!

Yes, thanks to our friends and followers, we were able to get the supplies for the additional 50 backpacks! That brings this year's count to 550 backpacks for the kids on the Rez!

THANK YOU!!

Can We Do 50 More and FAST??

I just got an email from someone on the Reservation asking for 300 backpacks for the children in her community. I had been in touch with her before and was waiting to hear how many they needed for their community. The problem is ... we only have 250 to give her. I have 150 committed to one village and 100 committed to another - that only leaves me with 250. I'm wondering ... can we do 50 more? It would take $50. We leave July 10 so we need to get it together fast. If we can pull this off, then all of the children in that community would be taken care of. I hate to take them there knowing that 50 kids will be left out.

So what do you say?? Can we do this??

If you can help, donating online is easy. Just click here to get to our Fund's site and click the "Give Now" button and follow directions.



I'll let you know what happens...

500 Backpacks: 2 Hours!

Last night (April 3rd) a group of adventurous souls showed up to fill and pack the backpacks that will be taken to the Reservation this summer. We set a record this year by filling and packing 500 backpacks in 2 hours! It was a hot and tiring job but everyone had a great attitude and make it a lot of fun. One person confessed to eating erasers when they were a kid. I am not saying who that is but I'm now wondering why we ran out of erasers before we ran out of backpacks ;) Jessy, the youngest of the group declared "this is kinda fun".

Thanks to the following people for their help:

Ellen Sizemore
Judy Foley
Tina Smith
Gary Histman
Sheri Hitsman
Jessy Hitsman
Jean Hitsman
Wint Martin
Nirvana Martin
Sabyle Martin
Sydney Martin
Charles Jackson
Brandon Whitaker
Brian Buriff

Click on the pics for a larger view

Backpack Packing Party: Volunteers Needed

Its that time again ... time to fill and pack the backpacks for the kids at Pine Ridge!

We have 500 backpacks to fill and pack this year and can use your help. Anyone can help regardless of age. We cannot take more than 12 people though so email Amber amberburiff@aol.com if you want to be included.

Friday, April 3, 2008

Buriff's home

7pm - 9ish??

New Video for Backpacks For Pine Ridge

Let us know what you think.

Beautiful Giving

The doorbell rang a bit ago and as I opened the door the UPS guy was leaving. There was a small box on my doorstep so I brought it inside wondering what in the world it might be. I don't remember ordering anything recently.

The box was a beauty supply box. Strange, I was sure I didn't order any beauty supplies.(might need to do that though) The box was addressed to me so I cut it open and dug through the packaging.

And there in the bottom of the box was a bag of school supplies. Some glue, pen, pencils, erasers and rulers - all EXACTLY what I have asked for. A note was attached by someone in Pittsburgh, PA apologizing for not being able to give more.

Amazing. Just amazing.

I love it when CEO's of big companies get on board as they have this week, but I am completely touched all the way to the bottom of my heart when a complete stranger gives all they can afford to give.

Its appropriate that the package came in a beauty supply box. That kind of giving is indeed beautiful.

New Web Site!

We are pleased to announce our new web site at

www.BackpacksForPineRidge.com

In the future this blog will be used to keep our supporters updated about what is happening with Backpacks for Pine Ridge.