Back-to-School time is in full swing across California! From shopping for clothes and school supplies to adjusting to new routines in the family, the back-to-school season can come with plenty of excitement. For some families and students, this season can also bring stress due to not having greater access to school supplies.
During this time of year, community organizations across California help ease that stress by providing a safe space for students and families to access back-to-school resources. For many students, these spaces are a vital source of support and motivation to help start a new school year with confidence.
Throughout the summer, the Comcast California team proudly participated in several back-to-school events within our local communities. From stuffing buses with backpacks to providing unique shopping experiences and more, our team was all in on supporting young learners and families with the tools and resources they need to succeed in and out of the classroom.
Stuff the Bus with United Way Monterey County
Stuff the Bus is a countywide fundraising drive to provide new school supplies for students living in or near homeless conditions in Monterey County. More than a backpack, Stuff the Bus eases the financial burden on families and gives children a boost of self-confidence. The 2022-2023 homeless data indicates that there are over 11,734 local students living in homeless conditions. The number of students facing homelessness in Monterey County has significantly increased over the past 14 years.
On July 18th, Comcast volunteered to help fill backpacks with notebooks, pencils, rulers, crayons, and more to help the youth prepare to return to school with the necessary supplies. Our team assembled nearly 700 backpacks out of the 6,000 backpacks that will be distributed to 24 school districts with the partnership of the Monterey Office of Education.
Yolo County Children’s Alliance Back-to-School Resource Fair in West Sacramento
The Comcast team volunteered at the Yolo County Children’s Alliance Back-to-School Resource Fair on July 27th. The beloved annual event provides much-needed school supplies and resources to hundreds of families in West Sacramento. The event featured a co-branded back-to-school themed photo booth and a Comcast “Caregiver Appreciation Station” where the team handed out self-care items such as snack break packs and spa day packs to parents and guardians, as well as school supplies, activity packs, and snacks for kids. During the event, West Sacramento Mayor Martha Guerrero joined our booth to help distribute the giveaways and bring joy and care to local families.
Sacred Heart Community Service’s Pack-A-Back in San Jose
Comcast partnered with Sacred Heart Community Service’s annual Pack-A-Back event in San Jose on July 30th, where our team volunteered to help students and their families take part in a back-to-school shopping experience for school supplies. Students selected the backpack of their choice and received grade appropriate school supplies for the upcoming school year.
In addition to the importance of having school supplies, Comcast also knows it is important to have affordable, fast and reliable at-home connectivity for students and parents to connect with teachers and classroom content. That’s why Comcast also participated in the Pack-A-Back’s resource fair to share more information about Internet Essentials, which has connected over 10 million households for over 10 years to fast, reliable affordable internet.
Stuff the Bus with United Way Santa Cruz County
The Santa Cruz County Office of Education and United Way of Santa Cruz County share the goal of wanting local students to go to school confident and ready to learn! The County Office of Education estimates that over 2,700 K-12 students are currently experiencing homelessness or extreme hardship in Santa Cruz County. For 15 years, Stuff the Bus has been a community staple for assistance and motivation for children and families in the area. This year’s Stuff the Bus aims to fill over 2,500 backpacks with new school supplies for each student in time for the upcoming school year. On Saturday, August 3, the Comcast team volunteered to help assemble backpacks with the tools they need to succeed. By promoting learning, we are providing care and encouragement for the youth to stay in school and thrive as the next generation of leaders.
Black Business Month Community Resource Fair with the Oakland African American Chamber of Commerce
On August 4th, Comcast partnered with the Oakland African American Chamber of Commerce to deliver a family-friendly event that provided resources for parents and kids while engaging with local non-profits, agencies, Black-owned businesses and local leaders. Besides providing 100 fully stuffed backpacks for the community, Comcast was on-site providing information on affordable internet options for the whole family.
