Loudoun 13-Year-Old Keeps Filling Backpacks In Age Of Coronavirus

ASHBURN, VA —Ryan Janaske, a rising 8th grader at Trailside Middle School, has seen how her Kids Helping Kids community project helps families in Loudoun County and is not going to let the coronavirus crisis stand in her way of making a difference in the lives of others.

The 2020 winner of the Prudential Spirit of Community Award plans to continue helping people in her community, even if it means adjusting how she raises money to fill the backpacks that she donates to young people in the Ashburn and Sterling areas.

So far this summer, Ryan, who started Kids Helping Kids four years ago, has delivered more than 75 backpacks filled with school supplies to elementary schools in Loudoun County. "I realized a few years ago that not everyone has what we have. I wanted to help them," the 13-year-old told Patch. "When they get older, they also might decide to help other people."

Due to the coronavirus crisis limiting her fundraising efforts, the number of backpacks Ryan has donated is down slightly from the 100 backpacks she filled with supplies in 2019.

Many of the events where Ryan raised money in the past have been canceled. She also chose not to do a direct mail campaign to family, friends and people in the community because she knew a lot of people are hurting financially, and she did not want to ask them for money in these hard times.

Even without certain types of fundraising efforts, the Ashburn community and people across the region stepped up to donate enough money for Ryan to fill dozens of backpacks for schoolchildren who may need school supplies as they begin the school year at home with virtual instruction. She even raised enough money in 2020 to donate to the Loudoun’s women’s shelter where she delivered 10 backpacks that contained notebooks, pencils, paper and other items for the families at the shelter.

Ryan's mother also set up a wish list for Kids Helping Kids on Amazon where people across the country can find out what the charity needs and have the supplies delivered to Ryan's home. If she raises enough money and collects more supplies through Amazon and other methods, Ryan and her friends may fill up another batch of backpacks to deliver to schools later this year.

Known as the "backpack girl" by many in the community, Ryan gained greater recognition earlier this year when she won the 2020 Prudential Spirit of Community Award. Prudential honored two students from every state — a middle school student and a high school student — for their efforts to give back to their communities.

Last month, Ryan delivered nearly 20 backpacks filled with supplies to Ashburn Elementary School, where she attended kindergarten and with whom she has maintained a relationship over the years.

Ashburn Elementary School principal Michelle Walthour said Ryan takes great care and compassion selecting the backpacks and contents she includes for students. "She truly embodies what it means to make meaningful contributions to the world," Walthour told Patch. "She is an amazing young lady."

As part of the Prudential Spirit of Community Award honor, Ryan received a $1,000 scholarship. When she learned about the scholarship award, Ryan immediately said she wanted the money to go toward tuition at the University of Virginia, her dream school.

Each winner also received $2,500 from Prudential to donate to local organizations. Ryan chose the Mobile Hope organization in Loudoun County and the Backpack Buddies Foundation of Loudoun, an organization that fills backpacks with food for hungry students.

"Mobile Hope has a big truck that gives out food, and a refrigerator in their office broke. So I donated the money to help them fix it," Ryan said.

Her decision to donate a portion of the Prudential award to Mobile Hope could not have come at a better time, with many families in Loudoun struggling to put food on the table due to lost jobs and bills mounting.

"Mobile Hope was very excited when they found out," Ryan said. "The money was more than what they needed to fix the refrigerator so they bought more food."

Christine Janaske, Ryan's mother, took her to see the people who were benefiting from the money she donated to Mobile Hope. "When she saw the line at Mobile Hope, it was a terrible feeling, but she got to see the people who she was helping," Janaske told Patch. "It drives her to give back more when she sees the people she is helping."

This summer, Ryan has delivered backpacks filled with supplies to Forest Grove, Ashburn, Sugarland and Sterling elementary schools in Loudoun. In the past, she has donated backpacks to her current school, Trailside Middle School. Ryan and her mother made a strategic decision to use the smaller amount of funds Ryan raised in 2020 to focus on elementary schools. The supplies that middle school students often need for their schooling tend to be more expensive, Janaske said.

But as the school year progresses, the middle school may have leftover supplies like accordion folders and other items that it will donate to Ryan for her to use next year to fill backpacks for middle school students.

Christine Janaske said the Prudential award has been an incredible experience for Ryan. Through virtual conversations, Ryan was able to meet other winners across the country and learn about how they are giving back to their communities.

This year, Prudential honored Ryan and the other winners for their work in the community in 2019. "Imagine the amazing stories that are going to come out in next year's awards after COVID," Janaske said. "Kids are setting the example for what we should be doing."

Where did the inspiration come for Ryan to start Kids Helping Kids? Walthour, the principal at Ashburn Elementary School, believes Ryan's parents have instilled a sense of giving back.

"Her mom is one of the most giving people I know," she said. "She's around her mom all the time and sees what she does and I think her mom is her inspiration."

Walthour said that Ryan is one of today's young people who years from now she expects to hear has accomplished even more amazing things. "One of things that is unique about her is her humility. She's very unassuming. She just does it," Walthour said. "There's nothing she wants out of it. Her heart is just to help others."

Visit the Kids Helping Kids Facebook page to learn about Ryan's project and how to support her efforts.