The start of the school year brings along the familiar scramble of families to ready their children for the new academic challenges that lie ahead. For military families in South Florida, that seasonal rush took on a smoother form this Wednesday, with a helping hand from the United Way of Broward County's MISSION UNITED. As stated by Local10 news release, aimed to ease the burden on those families by distributing 900 backpacks laden with school supplies in a drive-thru style event in Fort Lauderdale.
To be a part of this event, military families were required to have previously registered and to show proof of military service. The backpacks weren't just placeholders—they were filled with "filled with an assortment of necessary school supplies including notebooks, paper, pencils, pens, highlighters, markers, crayons, glue, folders, index cards, scissors, erasers, and more," as reported by the Local10 news release.
The sense of community and support was tangible at the United Way of Broward County on 1300 S. Andrews Ave., where families lined up to receive their back-to-school essentials. According by the WSVN report, the vice president of Mission United, James Heathon, shared his excitement about the day's events: "We have over 700 backpacks in that building behind me and over 450 veterans registered to come through this facility today," he told WSVN. "As you can see behind me, there’s a lot going on. We’re so excited to be able to give back to our veteran community. It’s just a small token of our appreciation."
As the school year approaches, the United Way is helping families, especially those with a member who has served, by providing school supplies. This support shows appreciation for veterans and helps children start the school year prepared.
