AUSTIN, Texas — On Saturday, just three days out from the start of classes for Austin Independent School District, hundreds of families in Austin got help getting ready for the new school year.
African American Youth Harvest Foundation held its 18th annual Back-to-School and Community Party at its headquarters in northeast Austin.
The group gave away around 900 backpacks.
“It’s a beautiful thing to be able to not only have been in the community 18 years but to continue year after year,” Michael Lofton, the founder and CEO of African American Youth Harvest Foundation, said.
Dozens of other nonprofits and vendors also provided clothing, food, health care and other resources.
“It’s about truly meeting the needs of the community,” Lofton said. “All of the products and things that you see here today, pretty much everything is free, and that’s what we want: equal access to resources.”
Lofton said those partnerships between the organization and other groups continue beyond just Saturday’s event.
“I’m happy to say that over the years, we’ve been able to bring in 30-plus Black and brown nonprofits here in this facility offering everything from health care, college opportunities, mental health, substance abuse, re-entry programing [and] Black men’s health clinic,” Lofton said.
Anyone wanting to help or needing help can visit the foundation’s website.