More than 25,000 Low-Income Students Will Receive Supplies, Clothes Throughout the Year

WHAT

  • The Back to School Clothing Drive, Arizona’s largest provider of uniforms, clothing, backpacks and school supplies to Title I elementary-school students at over 260 Maricopa County schools, is July 23-27.
  • More than 5,000 K-6 pre-registered students attend the annual week-long New Clothes, New Beginnings event. More than 25,000 students will receive supplies, clothes throughout the year.
  • Each student is assigned a personal shopper to help select a new wardrobe including two pairs of shorts, two polo shirts, a sweatshirt, one belt, three pairs of socks and underwear, one pair of sneakers, a backpack filled with school supplies, hand-made items sewn by a Stitches-of-Love volunteer, dozens of school supplies and personal hygiene items.
  • Each child takes home approximately $350 worth of merchandise, at no cost to them, totaling $1.8 million by the end of the week.
  • Back to School Clothing Drive has expanded its outreach and impact this year through collaborations with organizations serving children in foster care and homeless children including Arizona Helping Hands, Arizona Friends of Foster Families and Children First Academy.
  • All students are pre-selected and pre-registered by their schools and bussed to Grand Canyon University Arena, which is transformed into a large “department store”.
  • Back to School Clothing Drive helps break down barriers to early childhood school success,

and advocates for children attending low-income, Title I public elementary schools.

WHEN

  • July 23-27 from 7:45 am – 8 pm each day

WHERE

  • Grand Canyon University Arena, 3300 W. Camelback Road, Phoenix

WHO

  • Sponsors include BHHS Legacy Foundation, Bank of America, CBS 5 and Arizona’s Family 3TV and CBS5, Discover Financial, Grand Canyon University, and Fiesta Bowl Charities.
  • Sponsorship Days are: Monday: MEDIA EXLUSIVE DAY – CBS5 and Arizona’s Family 3TV and Grand Canyon University; Tuesday: OPEN to All Media – BHHS Legacy Foundation and Discover Financial; Wednesday: Open to All Media – Bank of America. Thursday: Open to All Media.

QUOTE FROM EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR KARL GENTLES

“For five decades, Back to School Clothing Drive has helped break down barriers to early childhood success for students from kindergarten through sixth grade who desperately need new school uniforms and outfits, backpacks and school supplies. Our products may be school uniforms and supplies, but we deliver self esteem, self confidence and a successful start to school for thousands of students.”

 

BACKGROUND

  • Founded in 1967, Back to School Clothing Drive distributes items through its signature “New Clothes, New Beginnings” clothing distribution, Student Attire for Education (SAFE), and Stitches of Love programs.
  • More than 2,500 volunteers assist the children whose families are at or below the Federal poverty level, approximately $30,000 annual income for a family of four.
  • Back to School Clothing Drive operates on an annual budget of approximately $1 million with two employees, a 10-member volunteer board of directors.

INFO

CONTACT

Steve Carr, The Kur Carr Group, Inc., (602) 317-3040