This summer, thousands of foster kids in Alabama will be receiving backpacks filled with school supplies. The total number of backpacks to be distributed will range from four to six thousand. This effort aims to support these children as they prepare for the upcoming school year. The project is set to take place in Madison, Alabama.
For more than 15 years, the Madison-based nonprofit Kids to Love has been organizing their highly successful More Than a Backpack drive. The drive is designed to equip students from kindergarten through to college with all the essentials they need to succeed during the upcoming school year.
It is a sad reality that when foster kids are shifted from one home to another, they often lack a proper means to carry their clothes or personal belongings with them. Tasha Jones, the Operations Director, shared that children are frequently forced to resort to using trash bags to hold their things. This highlights the need for a better system to ensure the comfort and dignity of these vulnerable children.
Jones mentioned that most of the time, children come into care with nothing at all. They are left with nothing, and it becomes the responsibility of the system to provide them with the necessary support and care.
All children’s backpacks come equipped with essential items such as pencils, pens, and notebooks. Depending on the child’s age, the backpack may also contain tools such as calculators and rulers.
Alex Phillips, a volunteer, has made the decision to lend a hand this year to ensure that foster children receive the essential items her own children have.
Phillips expressed her enthusiasm for providing school supplies for children who may not have access to them. As a mother of two, she understands the importance of having the necessary tools for academic success and is grateful for the opportunity to assist those in need.
Community partnerships and local donations are the driving force behind the success of providing school supplies to Kids to Love. Although the start of the school year sees the highest demand, the organization requires supplies throughout the year.
Jones explained that their organization provides continuous support to foster families beyond just the start of the school year. “If a foster parent contacts us and mentions that they require school supplies for their twelve-year-old, we immediately go to our boxes and gather the necessary items for them. These resources are not exclusively available right before school begins, as we understand that the needs of foster families are ongoing throughout the year.”
Collection boxes are available at every branch of CB&S Bank for those who want to donate supplies. The deadline for donations is July 29th. Once organized, the backpacks will be distributed to various locations in Alabama, Tennessee, and Mississippi.
