One of APAH’s largest annual resident events is a backpack distribution to help kids start the school year prepared. This year, more than 525 school children at our properties received new backpacks. Eligible children started kindergarten through twelfth grade this year.  Families expressed gratitude when receiving backpacks, which also contained approximately half of the school supply list for most schools. This saved families approximately $50 per backpack – helpful for parents of one child; significantly helpful for families with multiple kids.

As it has been every year, this program was made possible by generous donations from individuals, faith communities, corporations, service organizations, PTA’s, and groups large and small made up of friends, family members, and neighbors.

Volunteers supported the logistics of the supply drive by counting supplies, and filling, counting, labeling, and transporting the filled backpacks for distribution.  Their important work staging and organizing the donations helped ensure correctly sized backpacks went to appropriate ages and grades, and that the correct number of backpacks arrived at each community.

At the distributions, many schools and PTAs connected with families in a more informal setting.  One assistant principal spoke with a mother and calmed fears about her child transitioning into middle school.  Another PTA used the opportunity to collect emails for their weekly newsletter for families.  Families received backpacks at one of seven distributions; they were held at community rooms across APAH properties.

Without the generous support of many donors and groups, this annual event would not be possible. This is also true for our holiday gift drive, which will be coming soon!  Please reach out to Julie (jbooth@apah.org) if you are interested in donating to this upcoming drive.