Most of us, when we were in the 8th grade, weren’t worried about our classmates’ quality of life. Alee Brunty, on the other hand, thinks a lot about it. She helped start a program at her school in Baltimore, OH called Backpacks for Buddies. Every other week, Alee and her buddy Katie, give up their time to pack backpacks with 2 breakfasts, 2 lunches, and 2 dinners for other kids in their school community who might not otherwise have anything to eat on the weekends. They unload food, stock shelves in their makeshift pantry, make menus, bag, and distribute items. Alee’s teacher commented, “In a world where teens can be dark & cruel, these two are the light.” It’s why she was recognized as part of our Sunny 95 Rising Stars Class of 2018.
Rising Stars – shining the light on community needs and doing something about them – while they’re still just kids. That’s what it’s all about. To donate funds or non-perishable food items to Backpacks for Buddies, contact Liberty Union Middle School’s Backpacks for Buddies at tammy.harris@libertyunion.org.