More than 2,500 children received new backpacks filled with back-to-school supplies in September thanks to Alexandria City Public School’s Family and Community Engagement Center (ACPS-FACE).
Nonprofit groups and ACPS-FACE partners came together over the summer to support students of all ages who faced the prospect of starting school without adequate school supplies. The number of backpacks collected represents over a thousand more than had been collected in previous years.
“This shows that by coming together as a community we can ensure all students have the basic tools to start the school year with confidence and ready to learn. This was a great community achievement,” said ACPS-FACE Manager Krishna Leyva.
Numerous collection sites were hosted by local businesses across Alexandria to collect backpacks, spiral notebooks, wide-rule notebook paper, pens, pencils, crayons, erasers, two-pocket folders, pencil pouches, scissors, rulers and school supplies for all age groups. These supplies were then distributed to ACPS students through each school’s social workers.
ACPS-FACE would like to thank the Alexandria Sheriff’s Department for assisting with the pick-up and delivery of bins from over 80 sites city-wide. ACPS-FACE would also like to thank the following local sponsors who support the drive and provide sites for the donation boxes:
NBC4; United States Patent and Trademark Office; Trinity United Methodist Church; Brown and Caldwell; Virginia Commonwealth Probation and Parole Office; Regus, Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. – Nu Xi Zeta Chapter; National Accrediting Commission of Career Arts and Sciences; ALIVE!; Del Ray Variety Store; Dept. of Community & Human Services; The Dairy Godmother; First Agape Baptist Church; Gardenstreet Gardens; Grace Episcopal Church; Nature’s Nibbles; St. Elmo’s Coffee Pub; Alexandria Bar Association; Alexandria City; Delta Career Education Corporation; Holistic Touch; MPR Associates, Inc.; McEnearney Associates; Parker-Gray Pediatric Dental Care; PTO Federal Credit Union; Visit Alexandria; Volunteer Alexandria, Burke & Herbert; Alexandria Public Libraries; Alexandria Fire Department; The Alexander Apartments; Bell Dell Ray; Braddock Place Condominium; The Kingsley; Meridian at Braddock; Place One; Port Royal; The Sentinel of Landmark; Whitestone at Landmark; Carlyle Place; Alexandria Health Department; Alexandria INOVA Hospital; Alexandria Transportation & Environmental Services; Association for Supervision & Curriculum Development; CCA Floors & Interiors; Chinquapin Recreation Center; CommonWealth One Federal Credit Union; The Church of St. Clement; Congregation Agudas Achim; Crave Frozen Yogurt; Bradlee Center; DASH; Tempo Restaurant; George Mason University.
Photo: Sergeant Mensah with donations from the Sheriff’s department