PEORIA, Ill. – Dream Center Peoria is helping students start the new school year on the right foot by giving them some of the tools they need for success in the classroom.
The center’s 22nd Annual “Backpack Peoria” event takes place Saturday at the Dream Center from 9:00 A.M. to 12:00 P.M.
In addition to the backpacks, kids who attend can get a haircut, gift cards for school uniforms, and medical and dental exams. The event will also feature food and games.
The center’s Andy King tells WMBD’s “Greg and Dan” the event started when a concerned grandmother was worried about being able to afford shoes and school supplies for her six grandchildren she was taking care of.
He says “Backpack Peoria” has grown a lot since that first year.
“The first year, we rallied 300 bags together. We told the community we got 300 bags, and they were gone within 20 minutes,” King said. “So that really showed us a need to where now, every year, we’re averaging two to two-and-a-half thousand backpacks are given out to people in the community.”
King says in order for kids to receive the backpacks, families need to talk with some of the more than 30 non-profit organizations that will be in attendance at the event.
“We know that we can’t do it on our own as the Dream Center. So we invite everyone in, and before the kids get the backpacks, they have a card and they have to go to three other non-profits before they get the backpack. So we really try to encourage that community-type of connection,” King said.
King says this method helps connect families to organizations that can help provide services that they cannot.
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