About 500 San Diego schoolchildren will return to classes with much needed supplies, thanks to the local nonprofit group Social Advocates for Youth.
On Monday, volunteers started filling backpacks with school supplies including folders, markers, crayons, pencil sharpeners, notepads and rulers. SAY has spent the past few months collecting donations from 15 area businesses.
Nancy Gannon Hornberger, CEO of SAY, says the backpack recipients are from all over San Diego.
"So nearly a hundred volunteers will be involved in sorting, packing and helping to make this work. We spent the last three months gathering supplies, so it's massive effort to support these 500 students, if we could double or triple that we'd love to, so the call for volunteers is always key," Hornberger said.
SAY provides support for needy students throughout the year. The backpacks boost students' confidence and also allow stretched families to spend money on other resources. A family with two or three children spends about $600 a year on school supplies.
