Backpacks: Creating Pivotal Moments

There are many pivotal moments in a person’s life. When a client finds stable housing after years of living on the streets, or when their 4th grader comes to the Agency empty-handed and leaves with a stuffed backpack full of supplies for the school year.

Your support allows AIDS Arms to be that support network for clients in all of their pivotal moments. In its 16th year, the AIDS Arms Back to School program is one initiative where the community comes together to make a difference. An estimated hundreds of kids have experienced the physical, mental, and emotional relief of knowing that they will be able to fit in at school and have a smoother start.

It begins when clients let their case managers know how many kids they have along with the grade and gender of the children. Case managers send the numbers to the Women’s & Youth team. Neacy Turner, Director of the Women’s & Youth program, collaborates with multiple businesses and individual heroes to collect the right items. The drive utilizes Dallas Independent School District’s grade specific supply list to build backpacks with the essentials for a successful school year.

Pre-K through 6th will receive a backpack stuffed with folders, construction paper, snack boxes (for writing utensils), pencils, pens, and more. 6th and above will receive backpacks with binders, dividers, notebook paper and folders.

Many recipients of the Back to School Drive have returned to the Agency years later and spoken of the relief these backpacks provided them. Thank you so much for your continued support of AIDS Arms clients and their families.

If you would like to be contributor to a child’s pivotal moment, contact Neacy Turner at 214.521.5191 ext. 3336 or neacy.turner@aidsarms.org.