There is nothing like the excitement of the first day of school.
There is nothing like the excitement of the first day of school. The feeling of wearing your brand new outfit, your new backpack in tow, and the potential of all the things to come. I loved walking through the school doors dreaming about all of the new things I would learn, the new friends I would make, and getting to know my new teacher. I am reminded of the smell of freshly sharpened pencils, the sound of the school bell, and the feeling of butterflies in my stomach as I imagined the possibilities of the year ahead.
What I don’t remember is the financial burden that was placed on my family in order to obtain school supplies so I had the best opportunity to learn. It wasn’t until later I learned that each year my parents would stress and worry about how they would pay for five young children to have the school supplies for the upcoming school year. They would make sacrifices so we had the very basics for our classrooms and had everything we would need to be successful for the coming school year.
Sadly, this story is not unique to my family; many families and neighbors are experiencing the same challenges and difficulties right here in our community. Sacred Heart Community Service knows that back to school time can be a financial challenge for families and we want to do our very best to eliminate the burden. Which is why we are hosting our Annual Pack-a-Back campaign. We are asking you to join us in supporting our students so they have everything they need as they walk in and feel the excitement of the first day of school and create those wonderful sense memories like I had when I was young.
This year as a community we have a goal to raise $90,000 and school supplies to support 4,000 San Jose community children (TK-12). Each student will receive a brand new backpack filled with all the school supplies they need for the upcoming 2023-2024 school year. We need your support, can you make a gift today?
Ways your donation helps:
$50 Provides 10 students with washable markers to capture their imagination
$250 Provides 24 students with spiral notebooks to unlock their potential
$500 Provides 1500 students with notecards to practice public speaking
$1000 Provides 20 students with a filled backpack to start the year off right
I dream of a world where everyone has equitable access to education and educational resources; and while campaigns like this can help alleviate the immediate financial burden, we know it doesn’t address the root cause of poverty and financial instability for our families in the area. We know that there is more work to be done so that every child and individual is free from poverty. By supporting SHCS and the Pack-a-Back campaign, you can help us break down barriers and provide opportunity for all.
Thank you for supporting our future leaders,
Elizabeth Matthews
Sr. Director of Community Development
P.S. We have had a group of anonymous donors who have committed a matching donation of up to $30,000! Double your impact and donate by July 1st, 2023 to benefit from the match!
You can mail the enclosed remittance envelope or scan the QR code to make your impact on this school year.
SacredHeartCS.org/PAB
