Chef Space, a Community Ventures kitchen incubator, wanted to find a simple way to help the community. They started by collecting food for residents when COVID-19 was at its peak. This summer, once they learned students were going back to school in person, they decided to help them with the supplies they needed for the school year. While backpacks may not have been a necessity last year with kids at home, they are now.
"We just wanted to see how we could impact the kids in our area," says Tom Murro, president of Chef Space. "We were collecting anything on the back-to-school list: backpacks, notepads, pens, pencils, crayons – anything they'd need. We wanted to directly support the West End."
Chef Space helps subsidize small businesses by providing space they can rent at affordable rates while they build those businesses. They have a certified commercial kitchen, with an aim to add to Louisville's food scene. The program has a number of alumni, and they offered their businesses as drop-off points for the school
supplies. Says Murro, "We want to make a difference not just for small businesses, but by providing economic mobility, education, and building a better neighborhood." On an afternoon just before school started, they handed out backpacks, some silver, some with rainbows, some with clouds and some with butterflies. The kids snatched them up.
NeighborWorks network organizations across the country try to make sure the students in their communities are ready for the new school year. Lawrence Community Works, in Lawrence, Massachusetts, often partners with other organizations to send kids back to school the supplies they need. This year, they decided to work on the drive themselves.
"We did a social media campaign and reached out to our network to see what kind of response we could get," says Olivia Rosa, resource development and marketing specialist with Lawrence Community Works. "We got a great response from the community." Another thing they did differently this year: Creating an Amazon Wishlist that included small items, so that if someone was unable to contribute the cost of a filled backpack, they could buy an individual box of crayons. It all added up. "And it gave everyone an opportunity to participate and give something tangible to help the kids for the future school year."
More than 50 members of the community donated to the campaign. Local organizations and previous
donors came through with donations, too, so that staff could hand out 200 full backpacks. "It's important to give families the opportunity to get their kids prepared for the school year," Rosa says. "Often in our community, especially after the pandemic, families have had to prioritize other things. If we do this to help them and give them a chance to start the year right, that's what we want to do. We see kids walking around in the community using the backpacks. It's rewarding to see."
One addition to this year's backpacks? "Masks," Rosa says. Lawrence Community Works handed out the backpacks during an annual block party. Normally held during NeighborWorks Week, the event was pushed back to August this year, due to the pandemic. Along with the backpacks, the party featured food and a mobile vaccination site.
Rosa says one 10-year-old was so excited to find a series of Sonic the Hedgehog books among his school supplies, he found a spot in the shade and spent the whole time reading.
08/27/2021
