Families Receive Backpacks and School Supplies

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As the new school year begins, local community leaders partnered to provide K-12 students with school supplies and safety information in five underserved schools within the San Diego Unified School District (SDUSD).
The Ambassadors Foundation, a non-profit organization of the Greater San Diego Association of REALTORS (SDAR) joined One San Diego to launch the backpack program with San Diego Mayor Kevin L. Faulconer, First Lady Katherine Stuart Faulconer, SDUSD Superintendent Cindy Marten, and several local city police and fire department officers at Sherman Elementary in Sherman Heights, on Friday, Aug. 17.
Students and families selected backpacks, filled them with grade-level appropriate school supplies and home safety information. In addition to Sherman Elementary, the We Have Your Back program will visit four other schools in underserved areas including Porters Elementary School near Valencia Park, Kimbrough Elementary School in Grant Hill, Logan Elementary School in Logan Heights, and Perkins Elementary School in Barrio Logan.
“We acknowledge the great commitment that the Ambassadors Foundation has for our children and families in San Diego, and thank them for the support provided this year to One San Diego’s We Have Your Back program,” said the First Lady of San Diego. 
For over two years, One San Diego has provided students in underserved areas with backpacks and school supplies. This year, One San Diego expanded the program by partnering with the Ambassadors Foundation to reach more than 3,000 K-12 students.
“As realtors, our priorities involve supporting local communities, families and children and helping them protect their homes,” said Steve Fraioli, President of Greater San Diego Association of Realtors. “The We Have Your Back program presents our association with a great opportunity to support local children and provide families with simple steps they can take to protect their homes.”
In addition to sponsoring many of the backpacks, the Ambassadors Foundation provided bilingual (English and Spanish) guides with home safety tips and instructions approved by the City of San Diego Police and Fire Departments.
“The goal is to educate these children on how to live, play and study in a safe home,” added Fraioli. “This is particularly important now that we have a year-round fire season. We want to make sure that local families know what to do in case of an emergency.”
The We Have Your Back program is to ensure that those students that are most in need, show up to their first day of school with a new backpack and all necessary school supplies. Each year, the school supplies lists grows, and families in need often struggle to find a way to ensure their child will be able to attend the first day of school with their necessary school supplies. On average, it costs $50 to help a child start the school year with the tools they need to succeed.