August 24, 2006

Sacred Heart Community Service volunteers reach out to
community, providing backpacks for 1,000 students

By Lorraine Gabbert
Staff Writer

Volunteers from Sacred Heart Community Service, National Charity League, Starbucks and Banana Republic supplied 1,000 backpacks and school supplies to families in need.

Thoughts of the new school year bring to mind a long list of school supplies and handpicked backpacks. But for many low-income families, providing these essentials can prove a challenge. Making the difference, members of Sacred Heart Community Service (SHCS) opened their hearts to families in need, packing 1,000 backpacks for students in grades K through 12.

“The unfortunate reality is that there are a growing number of families who struggle to provide their children with the necessary school supplies to have a successful start in the new school year,” said Poncho Guevara, executive director at SHCS. “Giving students the appropriate tools helps ensure they have an opportunity to learn.”

Joined by volunteers from the National Charity League (many from Almaden Valley), Starbucks and Banana Republic, SHCS volunteers and staff displayed a colorful array of backpacks and lunch boxes on tables for children and their families to choose from, along with a variety of school supplies ranging from pencils and crayons to binders, calculators and rulers. After standing in line, waiting for their numbers to be called, mothers and children eagerly browsed through the diverse assortment, leaving with large grins and full backpacks.

Community members line up in front of Sacred Heart Community Service for backpacks and school supplies for their families.

Sacred Heart Community Service, a not-for-profit organization based in San Jose, was founded in 1964 with a vision of uniting the community to ensure that every child and adult is free from poverty. With a mission of changing lives by providing essential services, it offers tools for self-sufficiency and ministers with dignity, compassion and respect. The organization received hundreds of supplies and $10,000 in monetary gifts to support this program.

“A lot of community members are struggling to pay their bills and rent,” said SHCS staff member Esferalda Aldaiz. “We can only help them with so much, but when we provide backpacks, it helps. I think it’s important to be able to help in some way.”

To donate food, gently used clothing or volunteer, contact Sacred Heart Community Service at: 408-278-2174 or visit them online for additional information at: www.sacredheartcommunityservice.org.