For struggling families, school supplies can be difficult to access. Home Start, a local nonprofit organization dedicated to child abuse prevention and providing evidence-based family-strengthening services, is collecting donations throughout the month of July for its annual Back-to-School Backpack Drive. The donated supplies will benefit children served by Home Start. The agency will be collecting a variety of supplies, including filled backpacks ready to distribute, pens, pencils, binders, reusable water bottles, and more. Distributed backpacks will contain all the “must-have” school supplies for students and help reduce the financial impact that school supply shopping can have on struggling families. The donations will benefit children from kindergarten through 12th grade to better prepare them for the school year. “So many of our families struggle with keeping food on the table and paying rent each month as the impacts of inflation and the housing crisis continue,” shares Home Start CEO Laura Tancredi-Baese, LCSW. “Thanks to caring community partners, we will help relieve stress from these parents and ensure local children can head back to school prepared for success." Donated backpacks and supplies can be dropped off at Home Start’s main location on Monday through Friday 8:30am – 5pm at 5005 Texas Street, Suite 203, San Diego, CA 92108 through Friday, July 28th. Backpacks will then be distributed to Home Start families throughout the first week of August. The organization is also accepting school supply donations through its Amazon Wishlist. Shopping through the Wishlist allows the donations to be shipped directly to Home Start. If you need to arrange a pickup for 10+ backpacks, please contact Kylene George at [email protected]. For more information about the Backpack Drive and donations, please visit https://home-start.org/2022-home-start-backpack-drive/ Founded in 1972, Home Start, Inc. is a 501 (C) (3) non-profit agency that provides services tailored to prevent child abuse and neglect and to strengthen families. Their mission is to assure the safety and resiliency of children by strengthening families and their communities. Last year, Home Start served nearly 15,000 San Diegans in need of services. For additional information, please visit www.home-start.org.