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We’ve Got Your Back:
Members raised 60,000 backpacks with supplies for relocated teens
On August 29th, 2005, when most young people were eagerly awaiting the new school year, kids on the Gulf Coast were bracing for a Category 4 hurricane. Hurricane Katrina made landfall as one of the strongest and most destructive hurricanes in US History. Damage from the high winds and storm surges destroyed many parts of New Orleans and the Gulf Coast and left many people without homes.
Do Something was the first youth organization to respond to this massive tragedy on September 1st, 2005. Together, Do Something and Nickelodeon We’ve Got Your Back, an emergency call-to-action to collect backpacks stuffed with new school supplies and personal items for kids affected by Hurricane Katrina. Word spread quickly and young people across the country responded immediately, collecting a total of 60,000 backpacks!
Some of the things Do Something members did:
| 19 Girl Scout troops and 3 individual families in Woodbridge, Virginia sent 50 filled backpacks to kids affected by Hurricane Katrina. The project made the girls feel empowered, and they were glad to be helping kids like themselves. The picture shows Girl Scouts, ages 5-16, stuffing tons of backpacks. |
| Keegan, a high school freshman from NY, had family that was affected by Hurricane Katrina. Keegan knew he had to do something to help kids in the south. He sent out an email announcement, set up donation bins and, in only three days, collected 200 backpacks from students at his school! With help from a sister and friends, Keegan stuffed backpacks with notebooks, pens, snacks, hand cream, baseball caps and rulers. |
| Jacob in Naperville hosted a movie night in his backyard. Instead of charging money, he asked kids to bring a backpack or new school supplies. Cool! "At the moment I have over 50 backbacks some of which are already packed. I also have lots of everything imagible: general school suplies, binders, money, soap and shampoo, toothpaste and toothbrushes." - Jacob |
Pictures of members in Texas getting backpacks filled with supplies for We've Got Your Back!
Every little bit helped, even if it was Hello Kitty help...
Notes from schools and teens that the backpacks helped:
Orgs that helped out with We've Got Your Back
Do Something has received donations, supplies and support from around the country in astonishing numbers, including:
Sharpie® markers, Paper Mate® pens, Del Monte Foods®, Zone 88®, Bonne Bell/Smackers®, Campaign for Tobacco Free-Kids®, Wrigley’s®, RockCorps NYC, Moishe’s Moving Systems, Bruce Willis Foundation, NJ Turnpike
Thank You!
The program is over, but the rebuilding has just begun
Even though this campaign is over, the Gulf Coast still needs some TLC (tender loving care). Look for ways to help in our take action section.
