Bassette Elementary School students receive backpacks and supplies from the International WeLoveU Foundation

Mayor Donnie Tuck hand-delivered backpacks and school supply kits to 250 students at Bassette Elementary School, courtesy of the International WeLoveU Foundation. The donation is part of WeLoveU’s Packs on Backs & Tools for Schools program that will help 3,285 students in 11 schools nationwide receive new backpacks and school supplies. Donation ceremonies will be held in California, Delaware, Georgia, Illinois, New Jersey, New York, Virginia, and Washington, D.C.

“For many of our families, especially those with more than one child, the start of a new school year is very expensive. This will relieve financial pressure on families and also ensure that students at Bassette Elementary School have the supplies they need to be ready to learn,” shared Tuck.

“The 2023-2024 school year is our second year running Packs on Backs & Tools for Schools donation ceremonies. At these events, you can feel the excitement bubbling inside each student as they receive their new items,” said John Casas, vice president of community engagement. “Nothing feels better than knowing we brought joy for learning. The WeLoveU Foundation is grateful to the volunteers, donors, and supporters who make this program possible.”

The Packs on Backs & Tools for Schools is part of WeLoveU’s Closing the Homework Gap umbrella, launched in 2020. Initially, the program supported students with devices at the start of remote learning and has since branched out to provide new backpacks and school supplies. Providing the items has alleviated the financial burden families in under-resourced communities face during back-to-school shopping. The WeLoveU Foundation’s efforts align with Sustainable Development Goal 4, Quality Education.

About the Intl. WeLoveU Foundation

The International WeLoveU Foundation is an NGO associated with the United Nations Department of Global Communications. Chairwoman Zahng Gil-jah founded WeLoveU as a vehicle to promote unity and friendship among all people of the global village — beyond nationality, race, religion, and socioeconomic status — through impactful volunteerism within the initiatives of blood drives, education, emergency relief, environmental protection, international aid, and social welfare. WeLoveU has received more than 100 honorary and presidential awards from various countries and governments including the U.S. President’s Call to Service Award for volunteerism and the Green Apple Award for best environmental practice. Today WeLoveU is in more than 60 countries around the world. For more information, visit weloveuusa.org.