Some children will have the necessary items to help with learning when school starts this month.
StarKist employees on Pittsburgh’s North Side partnered with Feed the Children to fill 700 backpacks with food, school supplies and everything children need to succeed in school, the company said.
The backpacks will be distributed from 3 to 7 p.m. on Aug. 13 to school-age children at the Hope Cookout hosted by Light of Life Rescue Mission and attended by other organizations and agencies that help children at West Park on North Avenue on Pittsburgh’s North Side.
Thank you to @StarKistCharlie and @feedthechildren for partnering with us to pack 500 backpacks to hand out to children in need on the North Side! pic.twitter.com/f68b52BnOC
— Light of Life (@LightofLife) July 24, 2019
Feed the Children feeds hungry kids and its mission is a world where no child goes to bed hungry. The organization distributes product donations from corporate donors to local community partners, and provides support for teachers and students.
This event was part of StarKist’s committment to giving back to the community, said Michelle Faist, StarKist spokesperson. The company has been partnering with Feed the Children for 10 years and was able to fill 700 backpacks with school supplies, healthy tuna products and a note of encouragement for each child.
“These backpacks will be distributed to children in need around the Pittsburgh area with help from our local community partners at Light of Life Rescue Mission and the Kids Meal Network,” Faist said.
Doug Smith, director of development for Light of Life, said the backpack giveaway is another way Light of Life gives back to the community.
“We are more than a meal,” Smith said. “A lot of people think of us as a soup kitchen. But we do so much more. We reach out to the entire community. People tell us they never knew we did things like the backpacks and long term recovery. We want to help in any way we can and these backpacks will make a difference for so many children.”
