SBCSS Spotlights

Donated Backpacks Make Impact For Homeless Education Students

2012-08-31

Dodie Velarde knows first-hand how beneficial it is for kids to look the part of students when school starts.

That's because her children have received donated backpacks with school supplies in the past from the San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools' Homeless Education program called Children Deserve Success.

"The kids get motivated just having the backpacks. They see the older kids who get theirs and they said, 'I get one of those, too?' That's great," Velarde said. "It gives them motivation to come to school every day because it does give them a good feeling to get these backpacks and supplies."

This year, Velarde donated her time to help assemble 700 backpacks that went to students in the Adelanto, Morongo and San Bernardino City Unified school districts for the start of school.

The backpacks and school supplies stuffed in them were bought through donations provided by the San Manuel Indian Bingo and Casino charity golf tournament and benefitted K-12 students.

"While we are very pleased to be able to provide these backpacks for homeless students in the districts, there is a much greater demand for supplies and services that these students need than we are able to supply," said Brenda Dowdy, who coordinates County Schools' Homeless Education program.

For the last reporting year, more than 27,600 students in the county's 33 school districts were identified as homeless. With only four school districts in San Bernardino County receiving a federal homeless grant for this academic year and the next two, there will be much greater demand for supplies and services than can be accommodated, Dowdy said.

Each of the backpacks included supplies like erasers, pencils, crayons, spiral-bound notebooks, folders, glue sticks and pens.

For more information about the Homeless Education program at County Schools, contact Dowdy at (909) 386-2634.