Laura and Courtney Cunneen were 12 years old when they heard that Puente was soliciting donated school supplies on behalf of dozens of South Coast families who couldn’t afford them on their own. The girls were moved by the idea of children their own age missing out on something as basic as pencils and notebooks, and they decided to do something about it. “We felt bad to have what we have because Laura and I are so fortunate,” explains Courtney Cunneen. She and her twin sister, Laura, live in Pacifica and go to Terra Nova High School. The girls are 16 now. It’s been four years since they founded a community-wide school supply donation program in Pacifica. Last year, they collected $3,000 in cash donations and enough school supplies to fill two entire minivans. And the program keeps growing. The Cunneen’s backpack program has become so successful that their contributions, along with those of others, provide South Coast youth with enough school supplies to fill more than 250 backpacks. The teens set up school supply “drop box” zones all over Pacifica and advertise their campaign at the local farmer’s market. Their congregation, St. Andrew Presbyterian Church of Pacifica, has also boosted the campaign with cash donations every year. “Giving feels good,” says Laura Cunneen. “We have people coming up to us … Continue reading Why we give to Puente: volunteers collect school supplies for Team Backpack