Most moms of toddler twins are knee deep in…well…toddler twins. They have just exited the baby stage to enter the flurry of activity that all of us with toddlers experience…except that they experience it exponentially. Doing laundry can even seem daunting at times.
Not to Allison Cochran, BackPack Beginnings’ enthusiastic Volunteer Program Director. In the Fall of 2011, she approached Parker White with 2-year old twins and a desire to use her experience to help nurture this new organization. Together, Parker, Allison and core staff added the Comfort BackPack Program, expanded the existing Food BackPack Program and transitioned BPB to a 501c(3) with a new operating Board of Directors.
Allison has an impressive resume that brought invaluable experience to BPB. After graduating from the College of Charleston in 2000, she moved to Cape Town, South Africa for seven months, serving as a volunteer Events Coordinator in the Office of Development at Cornerstone Christian College. When she moved back to Washington, DC, she started her career with John Snow, Inc. as a Program Officer and Administrator of Finance and Contracts, managing a variety of public health projects funded by US and host governments, multi- and bi-lateral international organizations and private foundations.
Allison and I carved out some time to speak over the phone after she dropped her twins (now 5) to school and she got her son (10-months) down for a morning nap. While her background is instrumental to BPB, what I loved most about Allison was that her desire, drive and contagious enthusiasm to help children in our community came shining through…even over the wireless phone lines.
BPB is lucky to have Allison’s experience and passion behind their programs.
“Through a simple backpack, we can feed a child who might go without a meal over the weekends or provide a blanket and basic necessities to a child facing transition to a stable environment. While there are huge strides needed to tackle the systemic problems of hunger and poverty in our community, BPB allows for a tangible way to make a direct and positive impact on children in need. I am excited to be a part of an organization making a lasting impact on the children in our community and have been so encouraged by the outpouring of community support to care for children in need through BPB.”
Written on 10/22/2014 by Blogger Courtney Murphy
