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THE PESA POST
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Parents, Educators/Teachers & Students in Action

August 5, 2021
PESA SENDS KIDS PACKING
Through a partnership with Senator María Elena Durazo and other elected officials, students in need are provided backpacks and school supplies for the year ahead
As we enter August, parents, families and public officials are contemplating how the 2021-2022 school year will take shape given the recent surge of the Delta variant of COVID-19. For many families, the Delta threat comes with heightened financial insecurity resulting from business closures, job losses and the imminent end of the federal eviction moratorium on October 3. To help alleviate the financial pressures of struggling families, PESA partnered with Senator María Elena Durazo, Assemblymember Wendy Carrillo and Councilmember Kevin De Leon, to provide backpacks and other essential school supplies to families in need.​​

Senator Durazo's office took the lead in organizing this endeavor. The backpacks and school supplies have been distributed free of charge at events held on July 24 and July 31, and the final distribution event will be held Saturday, August 7 from 9-11 a.m. at 1900 N. San Fernando Road in Los Angeles..Councilmember Gil Cedillo has also cohosted some of these events.
 
Given Senator Durazo’s recent decision to recognize PESA as the Nonprofit of the Year, and thus her familiarity with the organization's work, a partnership was logical. “Senator Durazo’s office and PESA both share a common desire to help youth in our community and inspire them to get a good education,” says Seymour Amster, Executive President of PESA. To fulfill this goal, funds were raised to purchase 1,650 backpacks and school supplies for families in need. 
 
In preparation for the distribution events, a dozen PESA volunteers and members from Senator Durazo’s team as well as from other community organizations and offices of elected officials spent a recent Saturday loading the backpacks with school supplies such as pencil pouches and crayons. The backpacks were also packaged with two fliers, one highlighting the state legislature’s efforts to teach youth about government and the second being PESA's handout on tolerance, which aims to aid youth in making their communities more accepting. 
 
The impact of the backpack and school supplies donations was evident. At the July 31 event, Marilyn, a young backpack recipient, summarized the importance of the distribution event. "Knowing that people like Senator Durazo care about someone like me to give me a backpack makes me feel good. It was so nice to meet the senator, and to learn that she grew up in a similar place as me gives me hope. I go to University Pathways Academy, and when I graduate I want to become an FBI agent. When I was a little girl my parents would hide clues around the house and I would have to find them and solve a mystery. That is what I want to do as an FBI agent: find the clues and catch the bad guy,” she says. 

Through Senator Durazo's, the other elected officials', and PESA’s efforts, Marilyn and others like her are one step closer to pursuing their career aspirations.

If you’d like to support PESA’s many social and educational initiatives, please contact us.