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Last updated: April 9, 2009 4:33 p.m.

Good news, for a change

By Karen Francisco
The Journal Gazette
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Volunteer Bonnie Bonelli from Indiana Tech helps line up food-filled backpacks for students at Adams Elementary School. The Fort Wayne program was inspiration for a project at East Noble High School that will be highlighted by NBC News.

Northern Indiana's dismal economic picture earned national attention with President Obama's Elkhart visit. Now it appears it will receive some more welcome attention -- NBC News is sending a correspondent to Kendallville to recognize East Noble High School students for its "Making a Difference" segment.

The segment, which concludes anchor Brian Williams' nightly broadcasts, highlights the "good news" coming out of the recession. In this case, it's a project spearheaded by students called "Boomerang Backpack." It was inspired by the "Blessings in a Backpack" project in Fort Wayne, that sends backpacks filled with nutritious foods and snacks home with elementary school students each weekend.

With contributions from local businesses, the East Noble students buy the food and fill the backpacks, which are sent home with students from South Side Elementary School. An anonymous donor has stepped up with a $2,000 contribution to extend it to Rome City Elementary School.

NBC correspondent John Yang was expected in Kendallville today to film the feature segment.

Karen Francisco, senior editorial writer for The Journal Gazette, has been an Indiana journalist since 1981. She writes frequently about education for The Journal Gazette opinion pages and here, where she looks at the business, politics and science of learning as it relates to northeast Indiana, the state and the nation. She can be reached at 260-461-8206 or by e-mail at kfrancisco@jg.net.
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