By Holly Westbrook

The Orange Leader

“Shortly after Harvey went through Texas, we were watching on the TV and I felt like I needed to do something to help those poor people,” Nancy Pressler, Fremont Ohio, VFW post-2947 axillary member, said. “I decided to make backpacks.”

She went through the axillary on the internet and they gave her Gail Duhon, of Orange, as the VFW Axillary District 2 President information.

“She (Gail) suggested the fourth graders at the Orangefield Elementary. I started on Labor Day,” Nancy said. “I made 150 backpacks.”

The grade chosen was due to Nancy’s granddaughter, CeCe, who’s in the forth as well. Young CeCe played a role as ambassador from her school to Orangefield and was there to help pass out the packs to the students with her grandmother and Gail.

“Through my axillary, I requested for anyone to donate cotton material and as I was collecting that I got started on making the backpacks”, Gail said. “And my neighbor, Anne Lisa Wells, helped me get the ball running.”

CeCe’s school, Cathedral Carmel, in Lafayette, LA produced a three-week campaign to raise school supplies to go into the handmade backpacks. On Dec. 15 the students gathered in the cafeteria and packed the bags to get ready for their trip to Orangefield Elementary.

She knew she would be coming to Lafayette to see her son’s family for Christmas, so it wasn’t “a big to do to bring them in” as she put it.