by Osheta Moore
It’s hard to believe, but most students in our community are back to school and thanks to you, we’ve provided 200 fully supplied backpacks to those in need! Our recent school supplies drive was a great success.
School supplies are a great expense that many families have to budget for over the summer to make sure their children are equipped to succeed. But what about those living below the poverty level? Expenses and expectations of providing supplies that can cost close to $100 per child can be discouraging.
Woodland is a unique church because we use our space to support local organizations that help care for our community. We have onsite partners who serve at-risk youth, children, the homeless and more.
Faced with the daunting task of providing close to $20,000 of school supplies to families in need, we reached out to Merrick Community Services to see if they could help. Merrick runs the food shelf that we host in our building, but they also do much more. Merrick supports individuals and families as they navigate life transitions, find health and stability, and promote independence. Each year they have a community backpack drive and we used your donations to purchase 200 fully-supplied backpacks at a reduced rate. We then delivered them to our onsite partners to help them do their Kingdom work as they serve families. Praise God from whom all blessings flow!
30 backpacks went to students from The Lift, a leadership and spiritual development organization for at-risk families on the East Side. And 170 students received backpacks through A Voice in the Wilderness, our partners who help Congolese refugees achieve stability and healthy integration in Minnesota.
Peacemaker and former president of South Africa, Nelson Mandela, once said, “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” Well, Woodland Hills, you just helped equip 200 world changers with your generosity and support. Thank you!
