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On average, parents spent $272 per child on school supplies for the back-to-school season. With inflation, experts are anticipating the cost of school supplies to be even higher this year, furthering financial strain on parents trying to send their kids back to the classroom. To help alleviate some of the financial burden that local families are facing, Families Together of Orange County, a nonprofit community health center, is giving away free school supplies for patients as part of its new back-to-school program.
The generous donation of school supplies comes from a partnership with HOPES Collaborative and Giving Children Hope. With this donation, Families Together is able to give out school supplies to more than 900 students in Orange County who are gearing up to start the school year.
Alexander Rossel, CEO of Families Together of Orange County says:
“At Families Together, our mission is to set each patient up for success, and with our back-to-school program we will help alleviate the financial stress that this change in season can bring for many families in our community. Our hope is that families who take part in the program this summer will enter the new school year feeling confident and healthy.”
The program is running in conjunction with the expected uptick in back-to-school physicals that occur in the summer months leading up to the school year. With the program, any school-aged child who receives a physical, will in turn receive a backpack or tote with grade-appropriate school supplies. In an additional show of support, Families Together is offering protein food boxes for parents to take home for their families when a parent also receives a physical along with their child. These protein boxes contain milk, meat, eggs, cheese, and other essential food items.
The program is running from Tuesday, July 19 through August 31 while supplies last. Appointments can be made at both Tustin and Garden Grove, and both locations will be giving out school supplies. The protein boxes will be offered exclusively at the Tustin location.
For more information on how to make an appointment to receive school supplies or a protein food box, families can call (657) 550-1325 or visit www.familiestogetheroc.org. Limit one protein box per household, and one pack of school supplies per child. Terms and conditions can be found here.
