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CONTACT:
Tri Nguyen
tnguyen@glide.org
GLIDE’s Backpack Drive for Tenderloin Families
GLIDE needs 600 backpacks full of supplies for their “Back-to-School Celebration for Young Scholars,” held annually to support Tenderloin families in need
WHAT:
Glide Memorial Church’s annual “Back-to-School Celebration for Our Young Scholars,” ensures that Tenderloin children will receive the school supplies they need to be successful. Young scholars will be able to pick up their backpacks at a festive celebration full of family fun! This grassroots initiative is driven by caring congregants, notably Steve Hyzer, who helps with organizing every year.
We are in need of donations to fill 600+ backpacks with school supplies. Please help us get the word out.
Leadership is available pre-event interview.
WHEN:
- Friday August 15th, from 10am to 3pm: Volunteers will stuff backpacks full of all the supplies needed for a child’s school year
- Saturday, August 16th, from 11am to 3pm: Families will come to pick up backpacks & enjoy games and activities at our Back-to-School Celebration for Young Scholars.
WHERE:
GLIDE, 330 Ellis Street, San Francisco, Sanctuary (for backpack stuffing and pickup) and Freedom Hall (for family activities on Saturday).
WHO:
The backpacks will be distributed to families determined to be in the most need in the Tenderloin at GLIDE’s Family, Youth and Childcare Center, GLIDE’s Family Resource Center, GLIDE Housing, and GLIDE Kids. GLIDE leadership, including President & CEO Dr. Gina Fromer, Minister Marvin K. White, and Director of Congregational Life and Community Engagement Ministries Freddy Martin will be available for interview on request.
WHY:
It’s incredibly important to make sure our kid’s school year starts out right. We have 600 students who need these back to school supplies, which cost $50 in total: meaning $30,000 must be raised in donations at glide.org/backtoschool to ensure every child starts off the year with a smile.
BACKGROUND: As the cost of living increases, it is becoming harder for families to afford the items to help their kids succeed. Studies show that a family of four in the Bay Area needs $134,211 per year to afford basic needs– and the median household income in the Tenderloin is just $24,400. This is why community churches and nonprofit organizations– and the people who support them– play a vital role when it comes to families surviving in the Bay.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:
- Donate to the backpack drive
- Volunteer for the backpack drive
- Blog post about last year’s backpack giveaway
About Glide Memorial Church: Founded in 1929 by philanthropist Lizzie Glide, Glide Memorial Church was established as “a house of worship for all people.” Originally serving a working-class congregation, the church faced challenges in the 1950s but was revitalized in the 1960s under Reverend Cecil Williams and Janice Mirikitani. Today, Glide remains a beacon of progressive activism, social justice, and community outreach in San Francisco’s Tenderloin neighborhood, under the Pastoral care of Rev. Marvin K. White. The church is associated with Glide Foundation, which is renowned nationally for social justice advocacy and integrated comprehensive services which break cycles of poverty and marginalization.
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