Organization: Spirit of Giving Network
Program Name: Back to School PBC! 2024
The Program/Need
Back to School PBC! will provide 5,000 at-risk K-12 students in South Palm Beach County with free schoolsupplies, hygiene items and services, and essential medical screenings for the 2024-2025 school year. As aresult, low-and moderate-income students in our community will begin the school year ready to learn.This program will address low-income students’ need for accessible school supplies, hygiene services, and medical screenings. At least 16% of children in Palm Beach County live at or below the poverty level, and another 40% live in families considered to be Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed (Source: United Way 2022 ALICE Report). This means that 56% — roughly 158,633 — of PBC children are growing up with financial hardship,and many of their families are not able to afford basic necessities despite working (and often working multiple jobs). According to the National Retail Federation, the average family needed to spend $890 to prepare just a single child for school in 2023 — the highest amount in the history of the NRF survey. Families that struggle to provide back-to-school supplies often struggle to provide other support for their children. They may not see doctors regularly or be available in the evenings to provide homework help and guidance for social and emotional needs. These economic struggles correlate with children’s risk for low self esteem, learning deficiencies, and truancy, which can lead to a number of negative outcomes.
Why is this project transformational?
Back to School PBC! is a transformational initiative in two regards: first through its service to students in need,and second through its streamlining of community resources. First, this event will serve 5,000 at-risk K-12 students in South Palm Beach County to provide essential school supplies, clothing, shoes, and hygiene supplies. In doing so, Back to School PBC! is the largest school supplydrive south of Lake Worth Road. But as we hand them paper, pencils, backpacks and more on the day of the event, our impact for students is so much more than material goods — we are providing them with a sense ofdignity in being able to select their own items. Students leave the event feeling confident about starting the school year on equal footing with their classmates, despite their family’s socioeconomic circumstances. We will work with Impact 100 Men and second, with more than 60 other local nonprofit agencies to provide school supplies for the children they serve. In doing so, we streamline community resources through one central event and eliminate the duplication of efforts across dozens of agencies.
How will the Impact 100 Men of Palm Beach County’s money be used?
100% of funding provided by Impact 100 Men will be dedicated to uniforms and supplies needed by South Palm Beach County’s LMI students. Specifically,
$20,000 will be allocated to purchase 1,400 pairs of shoes ($17.86 per pair)
• $30,000 will be allocated to purchase 1,190 Middle & High School Back Packs. Your fundingwill ensure that we can purchase durable backpacks that will last the entire school year (with features including #10 zipper, padded back, reinforced straps) and include all grade appropriate school supplies ($21 per backpack). Your investment in students today will pay dividends for years to come through their academic success and the boost to their social-emotional wellbeing that Back to School PBC! provides. On behalf of the 5,000 at-risk students in South Palm Beach County whose lives we can change, thank you for your consideration and your support for youth in need!