Pittsburgh's People Helping People "Bags it Forward" to Make a Difference

PITTSBURGH, PA, August 28, 2010 (Press-News.org) This month Pittsburgh's People Helping People (http://www.meetup.com/thepeoplehelpers) event went exceptionally well. Beth, with http://www.plussizemommy.com , suggested that the group participate in "Bag it Forward," an initiative to provide backpacks and school supplies for children at Back to School time. The group agreed, and off they went. By the time Sunday 8/15/2010 came, a large number of people gathered at Panera Bread in Monroeville, ready to assemble over 150 backpacks with school supplies. Kim, http://www.craftymamaof4.com, and Alaina, http://www.myheartfeltlife.com helped Beth to organize the crowd of approximately 30 people who attended, and an efficient assembly line was quickly created. The backpacks were put together in record time, organized by age ranges.

Backpacks and school supplies were donated by a number of generous individuals from People Helping People (http://www.meetup.com/thepeoplehelpers), The Motherhood, and private sources. Joe Deible, of Tired for Tots, http://www.tiredfortots.com, and North Hills High School communicated with EF Tours, who were kind enough to donate 120 backpacks to the cause, escalating the operation dramatically. Elmer's Glue contributed to the cost of backpacks, and to lunch for those who attended the bag assembly.

The following day, Beth, her son Xavier, and two volunteers from Pittsburgh's People Helping People went to McKeesport's Crawford Village to personally hand out the backpacks to children there. Alaina also went to the other side of town and distributed some back packs in Moon Township. The response was very positive, and the effort delighted children and parents alike.

This effort proves once again that making a difference can be fun, and that it requires no major sacrifice. The backpacks were assembled in approximately one hour, and it took less than one hour to hand them out. With everyone involved donating just a little bit of time and a few dollars, the assembled group provided children with much-needed supplies, and helped to alleviate some of the burden on their families.

People Helping People would like to thank Beth, Xavier, Kim, Alaina, Carol & her son, Sharon & her family, Joe, EF Tours, Elmer's Glue, and the many others who contributed to this project.

For more information on Pittsburgh's People Helping People please visit http://www.meetup.com/thepeoplehelpers/