The Back to School Bash

The Back 2 School Bash was held August 17th at St. Mark’s church in City Heights. Over 200 backpacks full of school supplies were distributed along with shoes, socks and underwear. The children also were given lunch, had the opportunity to get a haircut, do an art project, or play organized games outside.

What an event?! So much fun for all…just maybe more fun for the volunteers than the children. After all, the volunteers were able to watch the joy and enthusiasm in the faces of the children. They ranged in age from 5 to 18. Some were with their parents; others came with siblings or friends. We had been told that most of the children were refugees. But, from where? We learned that the majority of the children were Burmese and had been in refugee camps in Thailand. By the time they made it to the United States, many had little or no formal education and no one spoke English. And yet, we met a beautiful young woman whose family had made it to California in 2007. She is off to college this fall. Her brother is already attending City College. We heard the story and had to congratulate her. She was beaming. We spoke to a volunteer who tutors some of these students after school. She said she has a group of preteen boys who are polite, sweet, and eager to learn.

Thank you to all who participated in this event. Your contribution made a huge difference in these children’s lives. Our congregation donated 46 backpacks and $481 towards the event. We had 10 volunteers who worked at St. Mark’s both before the event and during it. Can’t wait for next year!!

Check out some photos from the event: http://www.utsandiego.com/photos/galleries/2013/aug/17/back-2-school-bash-st-marks-church/

Also read the article from the UT:

www.utsandiego.com/news/2013/aug/18/tp-theyll-start-school-year-with-a-smile/

--Vicki Hoppenrath