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Young recipients of backpacks from Better Housing Coalition's first backpack drive in 2017 (Photo courtesy Better Housing Coalition)
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BHC employees shop for school supplies with donated funds. (Photo courtesy Better Housing Coalition)
Last year, Better Housing Coalition (BHC) started an initiative to enhance the academic experiences of students from low-income families who reside in two of its rental communities, Lincoln Mews in North Richmond and Winchester Greens in North Chesterfield.
BHC aimed to alleviate some of the costly expenses families face during back-to-school time by providing them with necessary school supplies through a backpack drive.
“We collected about 100 donated backpacks, which we distributed to our families during National Night Out events in August,” says Stacie Birchett, director of communications for BHC. “We gave out free raffle tickets to moms and dads and gave them out randomly as their numbers were called. We had a huge crowd hoping to get them, and since we did not receive enough for all, many families went home without a backpack.”
This year, for the second annual backpack drive, BHC hopes to fill 150 donated backpacks by Tuesday, July 31, to ensure that more families receive the help they need. BHC provides school supplies lists (including a gender-neutral backpack) for donors to purchase. Volunteers are responsible for the delivery of the filled backpacks to BHC's offices at 23 W. Broad St., Suite 100.
Another way to contribute to this effort is to make a donation of any amount to BHC with “backpack drive” noted as the purpose of the gift. The organization accepts donations on its website.
The backpacks donated will go to the elementary, middle and high school residents of the aforementioned BHC communities attending public schools in Chesterfield and Richmond.
