GADSDEN, Ala. - The Saturday after the April 27 tornadoes, Jean Scott and her family visited a shelter near their Attalla, Ala., home to see what the needs were.
They were told the basic needs of water and food were being met, but that the shelter could use some stuffed animals and games for the kids.
Being the grandmother of five, Scott was inspired by this need and saw an opportunity to do more. "All my grandkids were fine," she said. "They still had homes, they were safe. But other children were in need."
As Scott thought about the children in need, she thought back to a time of tragedy in her life.
Years ago her family dealt with a house fire in the middle of the night that left them with just the clothes on their backs. Scott recalled that her daughter had a tough time recovering from the event, especially at night.
"Bedtime can be a scary time for kids after a tragic event," she said. "They aren't playing, they have time to think, time to worry."
She wanted to do something specifically to help children at bedtime who had been affected by the tornadoes - and the idea for Bedtime Backpacks was born.
Scott began by texting her friends. Later, her daughter and husband created a Facebook page, Bedtime Backpacks.
As the name implies, Bedtime Backpacks is based on gathering backpacks or totes that have been packed with age- and gender-appropriate items for children and teens.
The support for the project has been overwhelming. Scott, who is a registered nurse in the Surgery Recovery Room at Riverview Regional Medical Center, said everyone at the hospital has embraced the effort.
She has received backpacks from other employees, from others in the community, even from across the country.
And as word spread, Scott also has received monetary donations.
When the backpacks arrive, Jean and her co-workers in recovery review each one. They add any necessary items and tag the pack according to size and gender. They then network with the surrounding communities to find kids in need.
More than 660 backpacks have been delivered.
People wanting to donate backpacks or totes can bring them to the information desk at Riverview.
Scott said she and her team will keep accepting and delivering backpacks as long as there is a need.