For many families, sending their children back to school means
more expenses that might take away from the food budget or other necessities.
Catholic Charities Christ House in Alexandria and Migration and
Refugee Services in Arlington, Fredericksburg and Manassas have distributed more
than 500 backpacks and school supplies to students who need a little help
getting ready for the school year.
CHRIST HOUSE
Bishop Michael F. Burbidge visited the fourth annual Christ House backpack distribution Aug. 23. He opened the morning with a prayer for students and then presented each student with a new backpack. Students also received a $20 gift certificate from Rack Room Shoes to purchase a new pair of shoes for school.
Eighty-four families were assisted, with 200 children receiving backpacks. More than 100 lunch boxes were given to pre-K through fifth-graders.
The supplies were donated by Christ House volunteers, Ladies of Virginia, Decipher Technology Studios, Catholic Daughters and Junior Daughters, and St. Vincent de Paul Society of the Basilica of St. Mary in Alexandria.
The families are clients of the Catholic Charities Emergency Assistance, St. Lucy Programs, and friends of the St. Vincent de Paul Society.
MIGRATION AND REFUGEE SERVICES
For more than 10 years, Migration and Refugee Services has distributed
more and more backpacks annually, with St. Mary of Sorrows Church in Fairfax
and Church of the Nativity in Burke donating many.
MRS staff also check in with their clients to see if there are
any additional services they need, including employment and health, according
to Rebecca Boak, community engagement specialist. “We also ask students to
bring in their report cards from the previous school year so that we can
identify students who may need additional assistance,” she said.
To receive a backpack, students must be clients of Catholic
Charities MRS and must be enrolled in the Virginia Refugee Student Achievement
Program (VRSAP) for students ages 5-18 who have been in the United States for
less than five years.
“Many of our students are from Afghanistan, having entered the United
States on Special Immigrant Visas (SIVs),” said Boak. “SIV holders are granted
permanent residence because they or their family members worked with the U.S.
government in Afghanistan.”
Imram Gill brought his two daughters and son to pick up backpacks
at Christ House. “Whenever we need any kind of help, Christ House is always
here,” he said. “It’s not just the backpacks but whenever we are in trouble.
These people are like family, like angels.”
