The Rotary Club of Goleta Noontime did a successful backpack program where they packed 288 backpacks in August. The project outline was to get school supplies for students in need, pack the supplies in backpacks and distribute them to the students one day a couple of weeks before the school started in August. The school district identifies who those students would be and provide Rotary with their needs. 40% of the students in Goleta are coming from low income families, most who do not have funds to pay for a new backpack or supplies.
The new backpacks help close the equity gap. These new packs help with self-esteem and gets kids started on a positive note. Anything we can do to make them feel better about learning will help them in their educational career.
Goleta Noontime collaborated with the Rotaract Club of Santa Barbara, who helped with funding and volunteers. It was a fun and energetic day where the supplies were packed at the “Jonny D. Wallis Neighborhood Park” in Old Town Goleta.
The highly successful project will continue next year too, and the response from the students when presented the backpacks were well worth the effort.
