After spending over 4 decades in severe poverty, I decided to go back to school at the age of 47. I was a high school drop out for 28 years and my life was filled with homelessness, drug/alcohol addictions in the family, domestic violence in the home, mental health issues, etc. In March of 2015 as I was taking a bus to our local Community College, I met a homeless man who had been robbed of his backpack. It was the first time that I had set my "stuff" aside and tried to help someone else. I rallied my friends on social media to help me fill ONE backpack for this man. Well, my community answered the call. We filled 25 backpacks in the first 24 hours with food, toiletries, socks, gift cards, and more! That was the day that "Giving Back Packs" was created. We have since handed out over 3,500 backpacks and are now helping other cities do the same. I went on to graduate with honors and also received a hefty scholarship to attend Gonzaga University where I earned my Bachelors Degree at the age of 47. I now spend my time speaking and inspiring others to leave their comfort zone and get out in their communities and connect those who are disconnected.
