Drive-Thru Backpack Giveaway Held In Harvard Heights To Assist Low-Income Households
HARVARD HEIGHTS (CBSLA) — A drive-thru backpack giveaway was held on Saturday morning at Los Angeles City Council President Emeritus Herb Wesson's West Adams district office.
Around 600 backpacks were expected to be handed out to parents and students.
The backpacks were being filled with supplies and hygiene items as well, and were expected to be provided to low-income households.
Pre-registration for the event was required in order to take advantage of the giveaway.
Schools within the Los Angeles Unified School District start the fall term on August 18, with instruction beginning August 20, via remote, distance learning.
LAUSD announced this week that all children will receive at least three hours of online instruction, either in a large group or a smaller one.
The district said in-person tutoring will be available after school and on Saturdays for those who need it.
While back to school plans have been formalized, some parents say the change is still drastic and they're worried about if their children's progress will suffer.
"My daughter says, 'I'm not gonna learn the same. It's gonna be harder,' said parent Victoria Illesaks. "I can help her but not like a teacher. Now, we understand teachers do a lot."
This is the eighth year Wesson teamed up with 101 Enterprises to giveaway backpacks ahead of the school year, but with the pandemic impacting finances as well, the need appears to have been greater this time around.
"You've gotta have some normalcy, you've gotta have certain things you can count on, especially kids," Wesson said.
Wesson said other giveaways may also be hosted to help support families and students.
