As the new school year begins, students all over the country are gathering up their supplies to prepare for the year ahead. Last week, LIFT-Los Angeles hosted its fourth annual Backpack Drive to ensure that our LIFT families were set up for success. Thanks to generous donations from The Honest Company and Beverly Loan Company, we distributed more than 200 backpacks to 65 LIFT members and their children – 140 of whom attended on Friday!
In alignment with LIFT’s two-generation focus, the day offered programming packed with resources for our LIFT parents and kids. While LIFT kiddos took part in arts and craft activities, parents gathered to hear a powerful message from an education expert. Sergio Hernandez, Director of Events at City Year, opened the parent program with a presentation on his own journey. He shared his experience of being an undocumented student, and the journey he went through to become the first Latino president of his high school and the first in his family to obtain a bachelor’s and master’s degree.
Sergio shared insights on how our members can support their children in setting their own educational goals and dreams. He also spoke to our members on how to best advocate for their children in schools. One valuable piece of advice he offered was for members to connect their children to enriching resources like extracurricular and after school programs.
Hearing this inspirational speaker helped our LIFT members shift their perceptions about their own educational goals. Parents shared their own experiences and concerns regarding their children’s education and expressed gratitude to Sergio for sharing his moving story and empowering families to pursue their own dreams.
Meanwhile, our dedicated volunteers from Bank of the West, The Honest Company, and Beverly Loan Company facilitated activities for the LIFT children. Creating and decorating their own piggy banks, the LIFT kiddos were encouraged to think about what they wanted to save for. The kids were excited to interact with the volunteers and learn from them, and they left our volunteers with smiles and “thank you’s” all around!
Thank you to all of our families in attendance as well as our partners, Bank of the West, Beverly Loan Company and The Honest Company. We are grateful to LIFT-Los Angeles Board Member Jordan Tabach-Bank, owner and CEO of The Loan Companies and all the volunteers from Bank of the West and The Honest Company who committed so much of their time and kindness to our Backpack drive. It is events like these that empower our families to reach their full potential, and we could not have done it without your support!
Check out photos from the backpack drive on Flickr!
This blog post was written by Hanh Pham and Essy Knopf, LIFT-Los Angeles Development Intern.