Due to Covid restrictions and no in-person Soroptimist meetings, it has not possible to collect any of the items needed for the Mary’s Meals backpack project over the past year. Usually club members collect and donate serviceable children’s backpacks together with an assortment of items to go inside: School uniform, flip flops or sandals, stationery materials, a tennis ball, a spoon and some toiletries and a towel.
However, a young student, Ella, has taken up supporting the project on Bristol Soroptimists behalf as part of her voluntary work for the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Scheme.
This was going to last for three months but she so enjoyed
encouraging family and friends to donate items for this good cause that she decided to continue collecting for a bit longer! The filled backpacks will bolster the number Bristol Soroptimists will be able to send to Mary’s Meals in 2021/22. The filled backpacks eventually go overseas and are given to students in areas of the world where education and educational materials are at a premium and a school uniform is essential if they are to go to school.
Well done Ella! You can be assured that all these backpacks are gratefully received by happy and smiling young students.