HAMPTON ROADS, Va. — Since the beginning of August, News 3, in partnership with ForKids and Southern Bank, have collected more than 700 backpacks for local kids in need as they head back to school.
Now, the deadline has been extended to help even more students.
“We wouldn't expect to go into work and not have the tools that we need to succeed, so why would we expect that for our kids?” said Bjorn Koxvold, the events and government relations coordinator for ForKids.
Community members are being asked to buy a backpack, fill it with school supplies, and bring it to any Virginia Southern Bank or ForKids location in Chesapeake or Suffolk.
“Right now, we're just really focusing on the basics: pencils, papers, notebooks, three-ring binders [and] composition notebooks specifically,” said Koxvold.
“Shelves are starting to fill up. We have volunteers going through the supplies that were dropped off and we are getting them in backpacks. I think we are going to be in a really good place,” he said.
The backpacks will go directly to students like Rayla. We spoke with the 4th grader and her mom, Ceyeissha, at the beginning of the Backpack Blitz.
“Due to COVID-19 and inflation, food and clothing - the older [the kids] get, the more the stuff costs,” said Ceyeissha. “I always remember to just try and budget as much as I can, but even with budgeting, as a single mother it is very stressful.”
If a backpack for each of her kids takes away a small portion of that stress, then employees and volunteers at ForKids say they have done their job.
As of Thursday afternoon, more than 700 backpacks were collected and Koxvold is hopeful that number will go up over the weekend.
“I think one thing to really highlight is how awesome our community in Hampton Roads is. When we ask for things [and] when kids are in need, they come together and they deliver,” he said.
Backpacks and school supplies will be collected at ForKids and any Virginia Southern Bank location until the end of the day on Monday. However, the nonprofit organization will collect any donations throughout the year.
