PHOTOS: LA SIERRA UNIVERSITY
So Cal School Kids Get 5,000 Free Backpacks Through Partnership Outreach
W
hen 9-year-old Quetzalli Dominguez opened her new backpack to find the colored pencils and other school supplies inside, it was almost like Christmas. “I love it,” she said, smiling behind her face mask decorated with small hearts. But unlike holiday toys, the backpack gift brings deeper benefits—it will help Quetzalli complete her assignments this fall, encourage her interests in school, and ease expenses for her family. The youngster was among about 150 third- and fourthgraders at Twinhill Elementary School in Riverside, Calif., who received backpacks filled with school supplies on Aug. 28. The outreach was part of the “Every Child. Everywhere. In School.” campaign rolled out over the past year by the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA). In total, 5,000 green and black school backpacks were filled and distributed during August and September through a partnership with La Sierra University. The majority were delivered to 41 public schools in the Alvord and Riverside Quetzalli Dominguez, unified school age 9, explores the districts, aiding contents of her new students school backpack at enrolled in Twinhill Elementary School in Riverside, Calif. free lunch
34 Pacific Union Recorder
La Sierra University
