Mandan refinery team supports local youth through Bravery Backpacks initiative

Community News

Mandan, North Dakota, Foundation, sustainability
Two people standing beside a group of filled backpacks
Laura Buchholz of 31:8 Project (left) and Kathlyn Dixon of Marathon’s Mandan refinery (right) pose with the filled backpacks collected at the Mandan refinery to support local youth through the 31:8 Project’s Bravery Backpacks program.

Key Points

  • Mandan refinery employees partnered with the 31:8 Project to support children across North Dakota during National Foster Care Month.
  • The team collected 25 backpacks filled with essential and comfort items for youth entering foster care.
  • The Bravery Backpacks program helps provide comfort, dignity and support to children during difficult transitions.

For National Foster Care Month in May, employees at Marathon Petroleum’s Mandan refinery in North Dakota supported children facing difficult and uncertain circumstances by donating to the 31:8 Project and its Bravery Backpacks program.

The Bravery Backpacks program was developed in 2019 after local law enforcement in North Dakota reached out to 31:8 Project to help address a critical need: supporting children removed from homes due to unsafe or difficult living situations.

Filled backpacks and donated items on a table.
Some of the donated items, including filled backpacks collected by Mandan refinery employees for the 31:8 Project’s Bravery Backpacks program supporting local youth in foster care.

The effort focuses on collecting backpacks filled with everyday essentials and comfort items, including toiletries, coloring books and stuffed animals, for these children across North Dakota who often have few or no personal belongings.

“The response from our team was incredible,” said Kathlyn Dixon, Associate Project Controls Specialist at the Mandan refinery, who helped lead the effort. “In a short time, we collected more than two dozen backpacks, along with a generous supply of additional items.”

“It’s a small way we can come together and help make a difference. And something our team really cared about being part of.”

“Each backpack is designed to provide a sense of comfort, dignity and care during a very difficult time,” said Stacy Schaffer, Founder and Executive Director of 31:8 Project. “They help meet immediate needs and remind children they are not alone. That’s why community partnerships, like the support from this team at Marathon, make all the difference.”

Assorted donated items, including backpacks and supplies, on display.
The items collected range from everyday necessities to arts and crafts, along with other items to help support children during difficult times.

Today, the program provides backpacks that are distributed by law enforcement, medical professionals, schools and foster care providers to children ages 2 to 17 across the state.

For employees in Mandan, the effort was a meaningful way to come together and make a positive, measurable impact.

“It’s a small way we can come together and help make a difference,” Dixon said. “And something our team really cared about being part of.”

Group of filled backpacks and donated items collected by employees.
The Mandan team filled a total of 25 backpacks and collected many additional items to support the 31:8 Project’s Bravery Backpacks program ahead of National Foster Care Month in May.