September 25, 2024
Back-to-School Fun:
Giving Away Backpacks to Lake County Families
On Friday, August 2, we got together with Catholic Charities and 13 amazing organizations to give away backpacks to Lake County families at Catholic Charities’ Back-to-School Fair.
Together, we gave away backpacks to over 550 students, working to make sure they were ready for the new school year. These backpacks were full of pencils, notebooks, folders—materials which were chosen by looking at each child’s school supply list and seeing what they needed.
This occasion was not just an opportunity to give Lake County kids the backpacks they need to succeed. With delicious food, face painting, and fun games, it was also an opportunity to have fun and make memories with our wonderful community.
The Family First Center helped bring the fun with our mobile youth programming, providing a bounce house, an arts and crafts station, and a board game station. Seeing the happy faces of families as they played games and enjoyed their meals together truly warmed our hearts.
This fair also allowed community organizations to get together and share information about local resources and services. We loved this opportunity to speak with families and introduce them to the work the Family First Center does. And of course, it’s always great to come together with fellow organizations to get to know one another and hear the exciting initiatives everyone has been taking to support our community.
This fair was a beautiful day filled with joy, laughter, and unity, a day that was possible through hard work and collaboration. We got to see firsthand the dedication Catholic Charities put into ensuring each kid had the materials they needed and backpacks that would fill them with joy.
During the week before this exciting event, we spent our time busily prepping for our backpack giveaway. Together, we prepped for the big event by filling backpacks full of notebooks, folders, pencils—whatever school supplies students would need this school year. A personalized backpack was put together for each child depending on many different factors: how old they are, what school supply list their teachers gave them, and more.
And that wasn’t all—thanks to Catholic Charities, we even got to take over 65 backpacks with us to one of PADS Lake County’s hotel shelter sites to give to families temporarily living there. We are so grateful to Catholic Charities for working with us to support families in need.
These types of events would not be possible without the power of partnership and collaboration. We want to say thank you to everyone who donated supplies, volunteered their time, and put in so much work to make this backpack giveaway possible. Our collaboration with Catholic Charities reminded us that caring for our community truly takes a village, and we are so grateful for everyone who was ready and willing to lend a helping hand.
Your generosity and kindness have made a difference in the lives of so many families as they prepared for the upcoming school year. Let’s continue to work together in spreading love and positivity in Lake County. Together, there’s so much we can achieve!