The average family spends more than $700 each year on backpacks, school supplies, and new clothes for their children. Many low-income families are struggling to make ends meet and cannot afford these back-to-school expenses. Thousands of children enter schools throughout Contra Costa County every year ready to learn, but without all the needed resources to help them get the most out of their educational experience. To help these students prepare for the school year, Volunteer Emergency Services Team in Action (VESTIA) is launching its 2019 Project Ready-to-Learn backpack drive on Monday, July 15, with the call for new, filled backpacks continuing through Friday, August 9.
For more information, or to place an order, go to https://sydneypaige.roonga.com/vestia.
A supply list by grade level is available on the VESTIA website at https://vestiainc.org/project-ready-to-learn/. You can drop off stuffed backpacks between Monday, July 15, and Friday, August 9, at one of the following locations:
Diablo Valley Federal Credit Union
1051 Detroit Ave., Suite A
Concord
(9 a.m. to 5 p.m., M-F / 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Sat.)
Kaiperm Diablo Federal Credit Union
325 North Wiget Lane, Suite 130
Walnut Creek
(8 a.m. to 4 p.m., M-F)
Kaiperm Diablo Federal Credit Union
1600 South Main St., Ground Floor
Walnut Creek
(8 a.m. to 4 p.m., M-F)
Rakestraw Books
3 Railroad Avenue
Danville
(9 a.m. to 6 p.m., M-F / 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sat./ 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.,Sun.)
CC County Employment & Human Services Department
Pleasant Hill office*
9 a.m. to 4 p.m., M-Th
*call to schedule delivery (925) 521-5064