The Cunneen sisters of Pacifica start school each fall with their heads held high, knowing they’ve made it possible for hundreds of other students to do the same. For seven years, Courtney and Laura have spent much of the summer collecting school supplies and donations on behalf of children who badly need them. They started their “backpack project” when they were 11. By the time they were 17, they were delivering fully stocked backpacks to 280 students – 130 in Pescadero and another 150 in Pacifica. Their extraordinary efforts have earned them a proclamation from the county, write-ups in the local paper, and the gratitude of nearly every  family in Pescadero. “It’s staggering, everything they have done,” says Puente Executive Director Kerry Lobel. “It’s fair to say that a lot of kids wouldn’t have had school supplies if not for them.” Now freshly graduated from Terra Nova High School, the sisters (who are also best friends) are headed to the University of Nevada, Reno later this summer to study business. But that doesn’t mean they’re going to stop collecting school supplies. In fact, they have plans to expand their project, formally known as “Bridging the Community.” “We’ve put so much into this organization, and it doesn’t sit well with us to just let it go. Children in Pescadero and in … Continue reading Why we give to Puente: Courtney and Laura Cunneen