OCTOBER 31, 2022
Several major changes are taking place at BP4K:
NEW PARTNERSHIP
Effective today, BP4K are now in a formal partnership with Blue and Yellow Crosses a.k.a. Blau-Gelbes Kreuz (BGK).
This partnership will allow BP4K 24-7 usage of BGK’s warehouse facility in Cologne. Backpacks that we ship to or build in Germany will now be done at their facility. BGK has agreed to bring in our NGO partner “Friends of the Ukraine” and continue providing material assistance to this group. In return, BP4K will serve as the USA contact group for BGK, and assist them in purchasing humanitarian aid within the USA.
I have worked with Linda from BGK since March of this year, and her NGO has done some amazing things. BGK has identified over 2,000 children in orphanages and safe houses throughout the Ukraine that are in dire need of help. Many of these kids are orphans from the death of a parent of care taker. Food, clothes and medicine are just the beginning. This partnership will be a wonderful advancement for all of us. Ukraine Air Rescue is also in partnership with BGK. We are forming very formidable alliances in my opinion.
BP4K IN THE USA
While this new partnership will allow us to continue expanding our ability to help refugee children in Europe, it also allows us to begin establishing our operation and base back in Louisville. Stay tuned for more updates…
CGN STUDIO 7 CLOSURE
Effective Nov. 7, 2022 we will end our support for the Cologne Breslauer Platz refugee center and close our studio 7 operations at the CGN Marriott. I am in the process of moving all the supplies over to BGK this week.
BP4K DELIVERS ITS 4,000th BACKPACK
Wednesday we will ship out 200 bags and that puts us at 4,080 backpacks.
IN MEMORIAM
We are deeply sadden to report the death of Doctor Oksana Leontyeva, a specialized children’s oncologist in the city of Kviv. She was killed early October when a cruise missle stuck a Kviv street she was driving on after having dropped off her 5 year old son at daycare.
Dr. Leontyeva worked in the children’s hospital “Okhmatdet” where BP4K has partnered to deliver medical supplies and backpacks since August. Her loss is a terrible blow to the children inUkraine: As a specialized oncologist in bone marrow transplantation, her death brings even more challenges to help Ukrainian children with cancer.
Thank you for your continuing support of BP4Kids!
William Vaughan
Executive Director, Global Operations
https://backpack4kids.org/