Recently, Kel and I met an inspiration woman named Despina Parakas at a speaking engagement I did. Despina has a business called Backpacks 4 Aussie Kids and her story was one of the most inspirational I have ever heard.

Despina puts together backpacks for Aussie kids who have been taken into foster care for whatever reason. Her goal is to create 100 backpacks which she fills with essential and personal items for children while they are in care.

As Despina says:

My partner and I have been looking into taking on the role as foster carers and the process has opened my eyes to just how much some kids don’t have.

Imagine being taken from your home by strangers (police or DOCS) with nothing  but the clothes you are wearing or possibly a rubbish bag hastily stuffed with clothes or toys and then being sent off to live with strangers. Or being in care with one family for a month or so and then being moved on to the next one. Some of these kids have nowhere to call home.

My thoughts behind the backpacks are – the pack stays with the child; it has p.j.’s a little blanket, maybe some clothes, an age appropriate toy or book (depending on what I can get), and a little torch. All underwear sent should be new with tags please.

What an amazing gift for young people whose world has just been turned upside down and, in some sad cases, completely destroyed.

Kel and I were moved by Despina’s story, but also by the matter-of-fact way that she went about her business and how she delivered her story with a sense of drive and passion that is not shared by many other people. My parents were foster carers too and so I can relate to how kind and empathetic these people can be.

So we want to help and we want you to be involved.

One backpack for these kids costs about $25. Despina’s goal is to create a further 1,000 of them and our goal is to be able to offer her 20 packs 100 backpacks by the end of August from The Bowditch Group and our readers – that is, you.

If you are able to help us get to our goal of $500 $2500 to donate, no matter how small the amount you are able to give, you can do so by clicking on the donate button below.

We will kick it off by contributing $50 for the first 2 of our 20 100 backpacks. Please remember, you don’t have to make a huge donation. A couple of dollars, a pack of new undies or by purchasing something from the organisation’s online store for as little as 99 cents all helps greatly.

Thankyou for your help.
Nick and Kelly.

Backpacks Sponsored:

So far, we have been able to sponsor 32 out of our goal of 100 backpacks by the end of August.

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Other ways you can help:

If you are unable to help with a donation, there is still other no-cost ways I could use your help with this.

If you are a Facebook user, please update your status for one day with the following:

I need your help (if you can) with our Backpacks 4 Aussie Kids August promotion http://bit.ly/cJBEwN

Also, if you already like the Backpacks 4 Aussie Kids Facebook Page, you can use the @ symbol before you type Backpacks 4 Aussie Kids in the above update and it will link directly to their page which will help also.

For Twitter users, sign in to your Twitter account and then update your status by clicking on this link. Your status will automatically come up with the update.

Are you able to help? Or do you have any other ideas on how we can help?

Please let me know in the comments below. When you make a comment on my blog, it appears immediately – no signing up, no comment moderation, so tell us what you think!

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