Operation Backpack Gives School Supplies, Food Boxes To Over 100

TUSCALOOSA, AL. — Dozens of cars crammed in the Krispy Kreme parking lot Saturday morning as a collaborative effort by several Tuscaloosa groups offered free backpacks filled with school supplies and boxes of food to local students ahead of the start of the fall semester. Operation Backpack, an initiative by the YMCA of Tuscaloosa and the Boys & Girls Clubs of West Alabama, gave out 102 backpacks during its first group effort, providing needed assistance to many during one of the biggest economic downturns on record.

"I think it's more important than ever," YMCA Membership Director Shane Reeves told Patch Saturday morning after he finished directing traffic in the busy parking lot. "A lot of people have been out of work and we wanted to provide something for our community, so we branched out a little bit instead of just the ones we serve on a daily basis. We know a lot of people are really hurting."

The day also saw 100 boxes of food distributed, with each containing five breakfast meals, five lunch meals and milk.

Reeves said the YMCA spearheaded a similar effort last year for the youth it serves, but decided to partner with the Boys & Girls Clubs to maximize its reach to children in need ahead of the school year beginning.

The event was well-received and saw a large turnout, Reeves said, with long lines forming by 8:30 a.m.

Kim Turner, CEO of the Boys & Girls Clubs of West Alabama, is a former teacher and told Patch she could relate to the myriad issues facing local students, parents and educators going into a school year that promises to be anything but normal.

Turner said apart from Saturday's event, the organization's staff has shifted to offer supervised learning programs to help working parents, especially in the wake of the news that Tuscaloosa City Schools will be virtual-only for at least the first nine weeks.

"We’re putting our staff to work another 10-11 hours a day for five days a week, and they are out here now, until our kids are 100% back in class," she said. "None of that is cost effective for our organization, nor is it cost effective for any of our parents. So we’re providing scholarship opportunities and opportunities for volunteers to come help us with this."

Touting the success of similar efforts, Turner said the previous 10-week summer learning program saw students improve their reading levels by two months, while improving their math levels by 14 months.

"That is a direct result of teachers being with kids and that’s beating the COVID slide, there’s not just the summer slide anymore," she said, referring to a phrase describing educational regression for students over the summer months when they are not in school.

In explaining the structure of Operation Backpack's drive on Saturday, Turner pointed to the importance of volunteers in making it possible.

Among those lending a helping hand were members of the Junior League of Tuscaloosa — a volunteer organization with the mission of supporting women and children in the community.

Junior League President Jaime Conger told Patch that Operation Backpack lined up with the group's specific focus on literacy, making the partnership a natural fit.

"We are just looking for new ways, especially with the COVID crisis, to be involved with women and children in the community and we’re looking for opportunities to provide the support and volunteers needed for these type of programs," she said, referring to Operation Backpack.

She then said the Junior League will also offer help to other groups or individuals in the community who wish to hold charity drives and similar events.

The success of Saturday's event was evident in how quickly the backpacks were distributed, with supplies finally running out about 9:45 a.m. — less than an hour after it kicked off. The lines were long and after the last backpack was given, organizers set out to take down names of those still waiting so they could be helped in the future.

Turner said it wasn't certain when the next Operation Backpack drive would be as the groups continue to gather supplies and take donations.

"Our partners at Walmart are collecting supplies, but when people see this need, they can contact the YMCA and contact the Boys & Girls Club," she said. "We have bins at our locations in Alberta, downtown [Tuscaloosa] and Benjamin Barnes Branch."

Turner concluded, despite the changes spurred by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, that students will ultimately grow and be successful if they are provided confidence through proper school supplies and engagement, however unorthodox the delivery may be.

"They are going to go into class ready as a confident learner and that’s is our motive," she said. "That's the reason we exist."

Click here to donate to the Boys and Girls Clubs of West Alabama for future initiatives and click here to donate to the YMCA of Tuscaloosa County.