Thanks to a backpack giveaway at the Culmore Family Resource Center in Bailey’s Crossroads on August 12, the children of Culmore are ready for their first day of school.
Second Story, the nonprofit that manages the Opportunity Neighborhoods (ON) initiative for the Crossroads region, distributed 300 backpacks full of school supplies.
SevaTruck provided lunch, face painting and balloon animals for the children, and information about community resources for the parents.
The goal of the back-to-school event was to “support our community so that children have the resources they need to start school ready to learn,” said Soraya Borja of Second Story. School starts on August 19.
The 10 community ambassadors who work with the ON-Bailey initiative helped plan the back-to-school event.
“The ambassadors are the voice of the community,” Borja said. They advise Second Story on the concerns of Culmore residents, assist with weekly food distributions, educate new residents about local resources and invite people to community discussions and financial literacy trainings hosted by Second Story.
Several agencies and nonprofit organizations set up information tables for Culmore residents, including the Fairfax County Department of Neighborhood and Community Services, the County Health Department, HACAN, Neighborhood Health, Inova Healthy Plate Club, Blessi Home Health and the Legal Aid Justice Center.
The park service brought the Wonder Wagon, a mobile unit that brings natural wonders to communities. The Wonder Wagon will be on display at the Taste of Annandale on September 21.
