Freeport student to aid girls worldwide

Several Long Island communities came together Saturday to help empower girls worldwide, one backpack at a time.

Freeport High School senior Brea A. Baker led an effort through her new Head to Toe Foundation to pack and distribute 1,000 backpacks to young girls in 10 regions that have experienced disaster, human trafficking or poverty.

"We will do our best to put a smile on the faces of young ladies around the world," said Baker, 17, who was honored Saturday by Hempstead Town, Nassau County and Freeport Village during the Packed to Empower event at Freeport's John W. Dodd Middle School.

Through Baker's foundation, backpacks will be sent to organizations and families in Freeport, New Orleans, Rwanda, Haiti, Japan, China, Australia, Pakistan, Ukraine and Chile.

"One backpack can say that we care from Freeport to the entire world," said Freeport Schools Superintendent Kishore Kuncham.

Nearly 200 volunteers -- mostly girls from Freeport, Uniondale, Westbury and Syosset -- helped fill backpacks with health and beauty products, costume jewelry, makeup, school supplies, journals, first aid kits, hats, gloves, T-shirts, socks and more.

"We take makeup, deodorant and lip gloss for granted, but these girls would really appreciate it," said Iris Fann, 22, of Freeport, who helped pack bags.

Baker developed the idea to distribute the backpacks while in the eighth grade. After she won the 2011 Shapiro-McCormick Young Women's Leader Award from the Women's Fund of Long Island in October, she used the $2,000 grant to start making her community service project a reality.

"It is important to learn the power of giving back," said Baker, who will be valedictorian for her class and hopes to study medicine at Yale University. "I didn't expect this much exposure or involvement, but I am so happy to see so many people outside of my community getting involved."

The event was in jeopardy Saturday, until the Rev. Sharon Brown of Freeport's Refuge Apostolic Church of Christ provided the 900 bags still needed.

"This is a dream that grew legs and got a heartbeat," said Baker's mother, Tina Baker, 44, who teared up as she spoke about her daughter's vision. "It's just amazing seeing this come alive. It all started with a 13-year-old."