192 Backpacks filled with School Supplies Distributed through new Partnership!
As students across South Lake Tahoe returned to school last week, the community rallied in a remarkable show of support for its youth. The inaugural Back-to-School Drive, hosted by the Marcella Foundation in collaboration with MountainHouse and Soroptimist International of Tahoe Sierra, concluded with outstanding success, providing essential supplies to children in need.
From August 1st to August 14th, the drive collected a substantial array of school essentials, thanks to the generosity of local residents and businesses. Soroptimist International of Tahoe Sierra proudly reports that over 192 backpacks were filled with supplies by a dedicated group of volunteers who have been organizing the “Backpack Attack” for the past 25 years to support South Lake Tahoe students.
"Soroptimist International of Tahoe Sierra is thrilled to have the Marcella Foundation join our 25-year-long 'Backpack Attack' initiative," said Laurie Brazil, a Soroptimist volunteer. "Their contribution to our cause is greatly appreciated, and we look forward to a successful partnership in the future."
The 192 backpacks, filled primarily with school supplies funded through Soroptimist’s fundraising efforts, have been distributed to the community. This initiative benefits numerous organizations, including Catalyst Community, Homeless Youth Outreach, Family Resource Center, South Tahoe High School, Tallac High School, CASA, and several other schools.
Each backpack is full of school supplies
“We were particularly impressed by the support of MountainHouse Church, which played a significant role in receiving items from the Amazon wish list, unpacking supplies, and assisting with transportation.”
The success of the school supply drive was made possible by the generous contributions of local churches and businesses that served as drop-off locations, including MountainHouse, Athletix Gym, Tahoe Bagel Company, the South Lake Tahoe Library, Tahoe Valley Pharmacy, and Engel & Völkers.
"The amazing women of Soroptimist have been supporting South Lake Tahoe students for decades, and we are deeply inspired by their dedication and service," said Melissa Uppendahl, Executive Director of the Marcella Foundation. "We hosted this Back-to-School Drive in honor of their commitment, with the goal of amplifying their incredible work and reaching even more children in need in our community. We are also very grateful to MountainHouse for serving as the school supply headquarters during the drive."
Looking ahead to next year, the Back-to-School team hopes to expand the number of participating businesses. If your business would like to be involved in next year's school supply drive, please email contact@marcellafoundation.org, and we will reach out to you when planning begins for this exciting community event.
To learn more about the various projects and community initiatives supported by Soroptimist, please visit [www.sitahoesierra.org](http://www.sitahoesierra.org).
