At least 100 backpacks that were supposed to go to Hartford school children were destroyed in recent storms, but storms didn't dampen the generosity of the community that came together to donate enough to replace them and pay for additional school supplies as well.
The Village for Families & Children, a non-profit organization in Hartford, raises money and collects donations each year to provide school supplies to low-income students.
“They rely on these supplies and backpacks to really get their school year started in a great way,” Derek Slap, the vice president of advancement for the Village for Families & Children, said.
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Because of that, the event to distribute the bags was pushed back and the Village for Families & Children put out a call for help, asking people to donate to help replace the damaged school supplies.
“If there’s any obstacles to get into school, we want to be able to remove them and that’s why we started this and that’s why it’s become so important,” Hector Goynn, the chief operating officer for the Village, said.
After putting out a call for donations, hundreds of community members, as well as individual and corporate donors, responded and came to the rescue.
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In two days, the Village raised enough funds to not only replace the backpacks but also buy additional supplies and fill needs for children and families the Village serves.