A new school year has arrived, and the Isaacs Center helped ensure that the children of the community were ready. At our annual Backpack Giveaway, staff and volunteers distributed 240 backpacks to students ranging from kindergarten to middle school.
Students and families were given a ticket and directed to tables separated by grade level. Every student had a choice of bag color, but every backpack came with a little extra depending on their age. Inside, they were packed with school supplies based on grade, from colorful crayons for early grade-school to binders and composition books for the older kids.
And then came the books and the snacks. Along with the backpacks, every table had an array of children’s books donated by the publishers. Students and families were encouraged to take as many books as they wanted, before being given an Italian ice and popcorn on their way out.
Summer might be over, but these students were able to welcome the school year with a smile.
“The best thing for me about this event,” said Eric Wyche, program director of the Jack August Afterschool Program at the Isaacs Center, “is the excitement and joy in the faces of our young people when they pick the bag of their choice and select a book that sparks their curiosity. It also gives me great pleasure to have an opportunity to speak with families and hear how excited their children are to go back to school, while expressing their gratitude for the support from our organization.”
To find out more about the afterschool and other youth program opportunities, click here.