Religion

Charlene Forster of Green Acres Baptist Church, Tim Meredith of Fellowship Baptist Church of Athens, Richard Howell of Grace Community Church, University Boulevard and Brandon Fleming, 14, of Troup, all have something in common.

Perhaps Fleming said it best.

"I just want to help everybody everywhere," he said as he dropped off a backpack at the KVNE "backpacks for orphans" drive on Friday morning. On-air host Mike Harper broadcast live remotes from the Brookshire's parking lot off Rice Road, as his wife Lois and Leah Combs chatted with those coming to donate in the last 30 minutes of Friday morning's on-air remote broadcast. The goal is to collect 300 backpacks for orphans in St. Petersburg, Russia, and 100 for East Texas orphans. Donation bins are set up at all Brookshire's and Super One food stores until Monday.

"I've got three kids," Howell said "and my 6-year-old, Abby, got so excited, getting a backpack for school, I just wanted some child in Russia to get as excited.

Meredith, who drove 40 miles from Athens to work, said, "I came because I wanted to give a backpack to a child who really needed it."

And should the current fighting between Russia and Georgia derail the effort? No, said Ms. Forster.

"Orphans aren't the ones doing the fighting," she said. "They're not the ones doing the invading. They're the innocent ones. They're the ones we are helping, encouraging and loving. Nothing should get in the way of that."

The backpack drive official ends Monday, but donations can still be made at KVNE offices at 2721 E. Erwin St. until "midweek," said Ms. Combs.

Visit the Web at www.encouragementfm.com for information about Orphan Outreach "Mission Backpack."