(Shreveport, LA) – A large group of enthusiastic volunteers spent days working with United Way of Northwest Louisiana, collected school supplies at five area Walmarts and filled backpacks to help children prepare for the school year.
The supply-filled backpacks were distributed to students in kindergarten, elementary school and junior high/high schools, at the Amerigroup Back to School Bash at the Shreveport Boys and Girls Club, the Save our Students event at Southern University, and the Webster Parish School Board Back to School Bash. These events also allowed students to participate in free health screenings and receive free haircuts. Supplies were also provided to the 12 Caddo Transformation schools. In all, more than 4,500 children were able to return to school ready for the new year because of the help they received from generous donors.
The contents included but were not limited to glue, notebook paper, notebooks, crayons, pens, pencils, erasers, folders, and binders. “It costs an average of $600 to send a child back to school with basic supplies required. For families who are in great need, this amount is unfeasible. Each year we get a little bigger and are able to help more families prepare for the school year ahead,” said Bruce Willson, United Way of Northwest Louisiana President and CEO.