Back to school time is an exciting time of year when students meet their new teachers and reunite with their friends to show off their new clothes and fresh school supplies. For many families experiencing homelessness, it is not possible for parents to buy their children all of their back to school necessities. For this reason, we are so thankful to those who give to help our families during this time of year.

This fall, our friends at the National Council of Jewish Women invited our families to attend their annual back to school event where our K-6th graders received new clothes, shoes, and school supplies, alleviating families worries related to back to school expenses.

We also had a number of young donors like McKenna Dixon and her 8th grade club, GR8 Change, who raised money at school to buy school supplies for their peers here at the Mission. Likewise, twelve-year-olds, Eva Wade and Kaitlin Divinsky, raised the funds on their own time to purchase supplies. When asked why they started this project, Eva shared “I wanted to do this because whenever I get school supplies, I feel energized about the new school year. I want [the kids at the Rescue Mission] to feel that too, so they can start out feeling confident and excited!” Kaitlin also talked about how she is proud to help the students at the Mission. She said, “Providing students with the proper resources and tools to succeed in school is the first step in helping them achieve academic excellence.”

NCJW, McKenna, Kaitlin and Eva made a difference in the lives of our families, allowing kids to start school with dignity.