The Bristol Senior Center was the scene on Labor Day weekend for the Keep it Moving Lower Bucks County “Cool for School” school supplies and backpack distribution event.
Organized by Bristol Township’s Erica Rakita, the effort’s goal was to provide backpacks filled with school supplies from lists posted by area school districts for students K-12 whose families are experiencing financial challenges or have to make difficult choices based on their own available resources, or lack thereof.
I remember clearly what that was like for some of my friends and their families growing up in Brooklyn. The Keep it Moving Lower Bucks County Meta page seeks to provide basic resources and/or needs by seeking donations from members or from outside organizations, Rakita said.
The school supply drive was held on Sunday, September 1, supported by Bucks Digital Media LLC with a donation of just under $250.00 in purchased school supplies and backpacks,
During the 4-hour event, 65 backpacks were given to children, along with school supplies, snacks, drinks and “I love school” bracelets created by her daughter.
Rakita, who has always helped in the Brooklyn area communities where she lived, said she started helping a couple of weeks after she moved into her Bristol home as a way of connecting with the new area where she found herself living.
“I’ve always wanted to help children and families in need” she said.
Parents and their student children came in and out, picking up the various colored backpacks for girls and boys.
Publisher -Editor of Lower Bucks Source, Bucks Digital Media, LLC, Jeff Bohen said supporting community efforts, helping families concerned with stretching a dollar as far as it can go is something of the upmost importance to Erica and I, especially when it comes to school. What many don’t know is we both attended Marine Park Junior High School at the same time and our paths crossed a number of times. When we were doing the nostalgia tour of the early 80’s I realized we have similar sensibilities when it comes to education and how students can thrive in educational settings, K-12, when they have the needed tools.
Students are taught skills at every grade, Rakita said, in order to put those critical skills to work you need some very basic tools, school supplies being one of the most important among them.
Rakita’s next goal?
Setting up the community based nonprofit she’s dreamed of, so she can help families and the children of Lower Bucks County thrive!
Credit: Erica Rakita