Update: I heard back in May that our backpacks made it to Japan and were sent to either the Fukushima, Miyagi, or Iwate prefecture. Camp Zama Girl Scouts reports that the total number of distributed backpacks should reach 8000!
Tommy is now old enough to read the newspaper, and although his main focus is on the sports page, there are of course other things that catch his eye. The recent earthquake in Japan was one such thing.
Japan may be almost inconceivably distant from where we live but it is also the place were some of my boys’ favorite things originate, from Pokemon cards to the movie Howl’s Moving Castle to sushi. And because we have traveled so much and talk about travel so much and dream together of journeys to far-away places, they readily cover that tremendous distance in their imaginations. Undaunted by language barrier or distance, they talk of one day visiting, of riding the bullet train and seeing Mount Fuji.
We’ve talked a lot about what the earthquake and tsunami meant for kids there just like them, how some of them lost everything they owned. And since they were so eager to understand I wanted to find a tangible way for them to help out there beyond simply sending money. I searched online until I found Operation Backpacks, which was started by the scout troops of Camp Zama.
So this past Friday, which was the first day of the boys’ spring break from school, our outing was not to a local museum or state park but to the mall where they each chose a backpack and filled it with toiletries, school and art supplies, flashlights, and boxes of candy. We packed them up with care, took them to the post office, and sent them off.
Sometimes traveling is as much about compassion and imagination as it is about actually going somewhere. We won’t be going to Japan any time soon. But today I’m dreaming of those backpacks full of hand-picked items finding their way to children who need them. Each one carries a little paper chick, drawn and signed with love from Teddy.
P.S. If you are interested in sending your own backpacks, they are collecting them until April 30, 2011.
P.P.S. Speaking of dreams, have you entered this contest yet?
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What a wonderful way to teach your kids about the world and lending a helping hand. My family has been following the aftermath of the tsunami and nuclear disaster in Japan, as well as looking for ways to help. Love the backpack idea. We’ll definitely look into it!
What a wonderful project for your family.
love this – kids are so very generous!
Such a wonderful thing to teach your boys. They are already citizens of the world.
What a great project!
I really love this idea and I can not wait for my son to be old enough to understand how important it is to reach out and help those in need. The backpacks are such an easy way for kids to understand exactly what was lost and what can be most important to kids- the fun stuff that they love to play with! Thank you so much for sharing this and for helping your little guys add some joy to the world!