Photo By Max Lonzanida | Newport News, Va. (August 23, 2024) MASN Kanches, assigned to the Security Department...... read more read more
Yorktown, Va. (August 26, 2024) Nearly half of the registered students at Oliver C. Greenwood Elementary School in Newport News, Virginia received free backpacks along with school supplies during their Back-to-School event on Friday, August 23rd. This was just in time for the school year to start Monday, August 26th. The clear backpacks, which were mandated by Newport News Public Schools last year, were handed out handed out by a contingent of Sailors from Naval Weapons Station Yorktown and Marines assigned to the Marine Corps Security Force Regiment. This unique community relations event also enabled the service members to receive some volunteer credit and delivered a wave of smiles from students in attendance during the successful event.
Earlier in the week, a working party comprised of Sailors (and one lone Airman) convened at the installation’s Youth Center to prepare the backpacks. During that busy morning, 240 clear backpacks were packed with folders, pencils, glue sticks, crayons and other requested school supplies. The school supplies were purchased with grant funds received from the Boys and Girls Club of America’s Military Services Department; which administers the 9/11 Day-AmeriCorps grant. The Youth Center applied for the grant earlier in the year, resulting in a grant in the amount of $2,500.00 to implement the project. This is the first ever grant award for NWS Yorktown’s Youth Center from the Boys and Girls Club of America (BGCA).
Jerry Graham, NWS Yorktown’s Youth Center Director, shared some insights to the award. “Our youth had an opportunity to pack 240 backpacks with school supplies and healthy snacks on Tuesday, August 20th. They were joined by several active-duty personnel that volunteered as well. This all took place at the Youth Center,” said Graham. He also noted some of the objectives of the grant itself. “The goal is to transform the anniversary of the September 11, 2001, tragedy into a day of doing good. The 9/11 Day has become a National Day of Service and Remembrance [and is] the largest annual day of service in America,” noted Graham.
The clear backpacks stuffed with school supplies and snacks were crammed into vehicles by staff members at the Youth Center and transported to Oliver Greenwood Elementary School. Once unloaded, they were staged at the Youth Center’s exhibitor booth just before the doors opened at 4:00pm for their Back-to-School Event. Jami O’Connor, NWS Yorktown’s School Liaison, noted that “there is a good population of military [affiliated] students at Greenwood Elementary and we have children from the Youth Center that also attend.” She, along with staff members from the Youth Center and the contingent of Sailors and Marines from the installation were in place when the doors opened.
Like clockwork, once the doors opened, a flood of excited students queued up at a check-in table in the school’s gym. Once checked in, they, along with their parents, were able to visit with the various exhibitors in the auditorium and check out their new classrooms. Staff members from the installation’s Youth Center were also on-hand at an exhibitor table with giveaways and a wealth of information regarding programs and service offerings available to military affiliated children and families.
There was also a line of excited students who queued up to receive free backpacks. There were several parents who noted that they had not purchased a clear backpack in time for school to start on Monday, August 26th. On hand to alleviate the need for that essential back to school item were the Sailors and Marines who handed out the free backpacks to the eager students. The crush of excited students and their parents eventually packed the school’s gym; and to alleviate the queue, the service members took armfuls of backpacks to the main entrance foyer and hallway areas to distribute them. This made for many smiles and positive conversations with both students and parents.
By 5:30pm all of the backpacks had been distributed by the service members. They gathered briefly for a group photo before heading back to the installation after this successful community relations event that was spearheaded by the installation’s Youth Center.
| Date Taken: | 08.26.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 08.26.2024 21:10 |
| Story ID: | 479474 |
| Location: | YORKTOWN , VIRGINIA, US |
| Web Views: | 112 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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