Back-to-school season is usually peppered with backpack giveaways that distribute much needed school supplies to families in need, but this year will be a little different due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Instead of a large gathering with hundreds of families, community groups have pivoted to drive-thru style giveaways where participants must wear masks and practice physical distancing.
For the Local Hearts Foundation giveaway, the organization changed to giving out double the school supplies inside tote bags instead of backpacks because students will be learning at home at the start of the school year.
At a giveaway from Councilman Al Austin’s office, residents can get a free COVID-19 test too along with their supplies.
Here’s a breakdown of the giveaways we know about.
Back to School Summer Blast at Perry Lindsey Middle School
This Saturday, Aug. 29, Long Beach students and their families can get a free backpack and school supplies for online and in-person learning from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Perry Lindsey Middle School.
The event, hosted by Councilman Al Austin, is drive-thru only and only people who pre-register will be guaranteed supplies. Families can register here for supplies by Thursday at 5 p.m. and here if they want a free COVID-19 test.
Everyone at the giveaway must wear a face mask.
Local Hearts Foundation food and school supply giveaway
Also this Saturday, Aug. 29, kids and their families can get a tote bag of school supplies at MacArthur Park from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. This event is also drive-thru only.
Now that kids are learning from home for at least the first part of the school year, Local Hearts Foundation decided to double the school supplies and put them in a tote instead of buying backpacks that kids might not need, founder Tito Rodriguez said.
Rodriguez, along with partner organizations like Diamond supply Co., Grizzly Griptape and Bombas Socks, will be giving out 650 tote bags packed with notebooks, pencils, markers, crayons and supplies specific to home learning, like earbuds. They’re also giving away custom masks designed by a local artist, Big Sleeps.
Rodriguez said they will also be giving away 10 tablets at random in the bags, “Willy Wonka style,” he said.
The pandemic has made helping people more of a challenge, Rodriguez said. Instead of holding large events, they have to go door-to-door. And helping people now sometimes means helping families in need get their fridges and appliances fixed.
“Now that I think about it, it’s pretty cool because we weren’t doing that stuff before,” Rodriguez said. “… You just help people and you keep going.”
Food and backpack distribution at Mark Twain Library and Silverado Park
On Saturday, Sept. 12 from 9 to 11 a.m. at Mark Twain Library and Silverado Park, neighborhood groups will be distributing food and school supplies to families in need.
In this drive-thru giveaway, families will leave with a bag full of food and a backpack full of school supplies. Understanding that kids are home and need more food, the groups are filling the bags with food for breakfasts, lunches and dinners, said Mary Simmons, one of the AOC7 Neighborhood Group board members.
Neighborhood groups like AOC7, Puente Latino in the Starr King neighborhood and the Westside neighborhood association have been gathering donations for months for the Long Beach Collective Association to give out.
The giveaway will also feature a census station where participants can fill out their census on the spot to get a chance to win a grocery store gift card.