Barb Allison never met a cause she didn't like. And hundreds, maybe thousands, of school children and their families have benefitted from her commitment. She has a simple explanation for her dedication:

"I like to help people, I always have. I grew up that way."

Each year with her Helping Hands group at Christ Church Anglican in Overland Park, Allison orchestrates a drive called Operation Backpack to raise money to fill backpacks for youngsters who can't afford new school supplies.

"It's embarrassing for kids to start school with broken or damaged supplies, or in some cases, none at all," said Allison, a retired teacher.

Last August, her group collected $4,700 to purchase 100 backpacks at $10 each for needy kids in Johnson County elementary schools. She wanted more, but Heart to Heart, the organization handling backpack sales, had promised Corporate America of Kansas City, Mo., that all its backpacks would go to schools in the Kansas City School District.

"Believe me, it took a lot of pleading and cajoling to get a hundred," Allison said with a chuckle. "Hopefully, we'll get more next year."

The money left over was distributed to 21 Johnson County elementary schools, specifically to help kids get new school supplies.

Allison, 76, became interested in the backpack program when she and her husband, Bob Allison, joined Christ Church Anglican in the early 1990s.

"I've never felt such love and warmth as we found there," Allison recalled. "They are wonderful, generous people."

In the program's first year, $9,000 was raised for the Episcopal Social Services program at St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Kansas City, which made bulk purchases of school supplies. Then Allison's group went downtown and filled the backpacks with those supplies.

Episcopal Social Services discontinued its backpack program in 2005 and devoted its efforts to filling the food pantry of St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Kansas City, Kan. But Allison continued raising money each August for backpacks, and also launched the "Stuff a Van" program to collect non-perishable food items for St. Paul's pantry.

Members parked their vans at the church on Sundays and parishioners filled them with non-perishable foods and other items.

"This November we filled nine vans to the roof," Allison said. "We filled six vans the first Sunday and three more the next Sunday, and delivered them to St. Paul's. Such kind, generous people!"

In addition to the vans of food, they raised enough money to buy 33,000 pounds of food from Harvesters at 10 cents a pound. That food went to St. Paul's pantry. The Ladies Bible Study at the church also collected canned food and other supplies contributed to the pantry.

Diane Wolf of Overland Park, a member of Allison's Helping Hands group, said of Allison, "Barb is a vital example of a senior citizen who sees a need and goes after it with a gusto that inspires young and old. Getting to know Barb is one of life's greatest pleasures. You'll never forget her smile and ready hug. She knows no stranger."

Wolf noted that Allison maintains her pace in spite of having COPD and needing supplemental oxygen at all times.

Allison and Bob also co-chair the "Older Parishioners Up to Something" group, or OPUS, for over-50 members who meet regularly during the fall and winter for social events.

"OPUS is my favorite organization in the whole world," Allison said with a laugh. "We have a great bunch, and we have so much fun."

Each summer, the OPUS board meets at the Allison home for dinner and makes plans for six or so events during the coming year.

"We take trips to towns around Kansas City that have something to offer, like the Oz Museum in Wamego, Kan., or the Air Force Base and zoo in Omaha," she said. "Branson is a favorite. We stay three days and see at least four shows. Silver Dollar City is fun, too."

Allison and her husband both grew up in Chanute, Kan. Bob played football at Emporia State, and in 1952 became head football coach at Argentine High School in Kansas City, Kan. A few years later, Allison graduated from Pittsburg State University and started her teaching career at Emmanuel Lutheran Elementary in Wyandotte County.

They married in 1960 and have lived in the same house in Overland Park since 1974. Both retired in 1991. Not surprising, their three daughters also are teachers. They have six grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.

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