SAN ANTONIO – The month of August typically marks the end of summer vacation and the start of school for many students of all ages.
This means parents will be having to dish out some money on school supplies, but it’s an expense that some families truly can’t afford.
Luckily, when there’s a need, the community never fails to step up to the plate and help.
Community organizers over at the Claude W. Black Community Center hosted its 16th annual Back 2 School Jamboree on Saturday.
The event gave away 800 backpacks filled with school supplies needed to start the school year off right.
Burnell White, president of Desert of Texas a Charitable Foundation, said the event aims to give back to the community and support those who need it.
“We cannot forget where we came from… So we know that there are challenges in our community and the greatest reward that we get is when we interact with the youth of today to let them know that there are people that are here to support them through all the challenges that they may encounter, not just them, but their parents, the educators in our community,” said White.
White says the back-to-school giveaway means more to the kids than just getting school supplies. He states it’s been a rewarding opportunity to witness the positive impact it has had on students.
“This keeps us grounded. It keeps our understanding that these children need us through no fault of their own and in many cases, no fault of their parents’ own. There are economic situations that exist, and we should just get out and help them,” said White.
The center plans on continuing with the impactful tradition and says they’ll be helping families next year as well.
“We want to continue to do those things. We want to continue to partner. We want to continue to let our community know that we’re here, you know, whether we’re doing book bags, school supplies, whatever it is that we need in the community. We just want to make sure that people understand that we are here to assist them in whatever challenges that come along,” said White.
The center welcomed families from 10 a.m. to 2.p.m. adhering to COVID-19 safety protocol and guidelines.
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