Ready, Set, Go….Backpack Drive!

Please join Windermere Real Estate as we fund the Ready, Set, Go…..Backpack Drive. Our goal is providing 500 backpacks, stocked with school supplies, so  ALL students get to experience back to school EXCITEMENT!  We created a Go Fund Me page and are asking our friends to help. Let’s make the first day of school a GREAT DAY for EVERYONE! Thank you in advance for helping. Be sure to designate Community Schools in the drop down menu of the donation section and put Backpack Drive in the comments.

Ready, Set, Go…..Backpack Drive Donate Here!

So how did this partnership begin? 

It started back in 1984 when every Windermere closed its offices for one day to help make a positive difference in their local communities. Thirty-five years and more than one million hours of community service later, Windermere offices across the country continue this tradition.

In 2018 we were introduced to the Community Schools and last June the Windermere Powerhouse Group team along with our other local Windermere offices spent the day at Whitney Community Center, a member of the Boise Community Schools. We pulled weeds, cleaned up their garden and create a painted rock landscape to achieve the goal of a clean and bright school welcoming the students back in the fall. It was an amazing day painting rocks with students and getting to know the incredibly generous staff members. We knew we were going to continue working with them throughout the year.

What we learned

Like many of you, we weren’t familiar with the Boise District Community Schools and the services they provide. As real estate professionals, we are familiar with the differences of the current housing market compared to twenty years ago. However, many of us were shocked at the drastically different demographics of the school district over the last 20 years. We met some homeless students in June, happily painting rocks with us, excited that we wanted to help their school. We learned later that 600-800 children are homeless or unaccompanied, meaning they have no parent or guardian. And 49% of students qualify for the free or reduced lunch program.

Boise faces all the challenges of any growing urban area and The Community Schools is a unique program making a difference in addressing those challenges. It’s both a place and a set of partnerships between the school and other community resources. It has an integrated focus on academics, health and social services. Youth and community development as well as family engagement leads to improved student learning, stronger families and healthier communities. They provide resources beyond what we typically think of in school including a food pantry, dental check-ups, coats & boots, weekly English classes, parental education, job seeking and resume services. It is essentially the community so many people are striving to be part of.

The Ready, Set, Go….Backpack Drive is the next urgent need. The goal is ensuring that all students get to go back to school on equal footing with their peers, with a new backpack full of supplies. Windermere real estate decided this is a great opportunity to help and we are encouraging you to help too! Let’s send 500 kids back to school with confidence and excitement to start the new year! 

******Donate to the Backpack Drive Here*****