AURORA, Colo. — On a hot summer afternoon, staff at Aurora Central High School are hard at work — not for themselves, but for their most vulnerable students.
Denver7 is teaming up with Les Schwab Tire Centers and A Precious Child to provide school supplies to students across the Denver area. A Precious Child, a nonprofit based in Broomfield, is working with more than 50 schools and community organizations to distribute those supplies and provides essential resources to over 50,000 children a year.
At Aurora Central, staff and their families spent part of summer break loading 300 backpacks filled with donated supplies. The backpacks will be handed out during registration day.
Assistant Principal Dr. Chaniqua Brown said the need at the school is greater than ever.
"I imagine we're going to see a higher need than we have in the past, and we traditionally have a pretty big need. We serve a lot of refugees, a lot of newcomers to the country, and a lot of kids from socioeconomic status that doesn't enable you to just go out and spend hundreds of dollars on backpacks," Brown said.
Family Liaison Estefania Martinez said families reach out to her regularly, especially this time of year.
"I actually do have a lot of families reach out, especially during this time with our economics going on, everything, the challenges, financial barriers are happening. Families do tend to reach out from like food essentials to like, their bills, housing situations," Martinez said.
Martinez said the school has seen students stop showing up when they don't have the tools to learn. That's when community partners like A Precious Child help fill the gap — so every student shows up with the basics to succeed.
Brown said the partnership means everything goes to the school community.
"I think it's a blessing that we have a partner like A Precious Child who would donate backpacks to us, and so if that means our team getting our hands dirty and going to pick them up and bringing them in the school on a really hot day, then that's what we're going to do to make sure our kids have what they need," Brown said.
Viewers can donate new school supplies at any Les Schwab Tire Centers location or make a financial gift online at www.Denver7.com/Gives. Select "Denver7 Gives: School Supply Drive" from the drop-down menu.
- $55 provides a backpack filled with school supplies for an elementary school student.
- $60 fills a backpack for a middle or high school student.
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