Annie McIntyre began the Build‑a‑Backpack campaign in March 2026 with guidance from teacher Dominique Preate, then turned to social media and local businesses to rally donations in early June. The drive drew pencils, pens, notebooks, highlighters, crayons, erasers, glue sticks, sharpeners, scissors, rulers and markers, which McIntyre sorted into backpacks tailored to elementary and middle‑school age groups.
Four Kindness Karts, each stocked with a fresh supply of school gear, were placed in the halls of Dunmore, Riverside and Scranton schools. After a student completed a documented act of kindness—helping a peer, volunteering, or cleaning a shared space—they could claim a cart and pass it on, turning generosity into a self‑sustaining chain.
Principal Lisa Owens of Charles Sumner Elementary praised the backpack project, noting that pupils were “thrilled to receive useful supplies and feel the community’s care.” McIntyre’s mother, Kirsten, recalled that her daughter had previously organized pizza deliveries to nurses during the COVID‑19 crisis, showing a long‑standing commitment to service.
The project’s success sparked a wave of interest among classmates, with several students now seeking McIntyre’s advice on launching their own community‑service initiatives. The momentum suggests the program could serve as a replicable model for other districts seeking to combine tangible aid with a culture of kindness.