As July winds down, a bevy of back-to-school events offer multiple opportunities for public involvement while providing everything from free backpacks and school supplies to car seats and social services to children in need.
Slated first on the calendar is the Youth On Their Own’s Back To School Challenge, which continues through Oct. 1 and seeks to provide backpacks and school supplies for 1,600 homeless and near-homeless middle school and high school students.
“I am just continually shocked by the numbers of kids that we see. They have so many challenges … and we have to try to help them through each immediate crisis. If we can alleviate some of the stress they feel when school starts and they are trying to come up with a backpack or graphing calculator and other school supplies, they can concentrate more on what they are supposed to be doing, which is going to school,” said Nicola Hartmann, Chief Executive Officer of Youth On Their Own.
