On Friday, July 22, the Karsh Center hosted its annual back to school event. This year’s event, Ready for Kindergarten!, served clients of our family support program with children going into Kindergarten this fall.

140 children received backpacks and school supplies such as pencils and crayons, while participating in many exciting activities run by Collaborators, volunteers and staff. The kids and their families painted marbles with Cambio Colectivo, made lanyards with Wilshire Boulevard Temple ECC, and picked out books at our “bookstore,” graciously stocked by Make Good, Inc.! The crowd favorite was a photo booth where kids were able to dress up and dream about their future careers – we had lots of doctors, firefighters, and teachers. While the kids worked on their activities, families were able to enjoy refreshments and healthy snacks.

Beyond relieving families of the financial stress that comes with going back to school, the Karsh Center wanted to get kids excited about going to school and learning. 93% of parents responded to a survey after the event saying their child was excited for school. One parent noted that her son “was so happy to find the perfect backpack.” Another shared that the backpack event was “a big help for the kids to prepare them to get excited for school.” Many parents noted how helpful this event was economically – the average cost of the backpacks with school materials is $40, a financial burden especially for families with multiple children.

Thank you to all of our incredible volunteers and donors for making this event possible. We were thrilled to welcome families from our community for this special event, and it was made even more meaningful by seeing how much fun the kids had. The proof is in the pictures below!

Photography by Darwin David Smith.