Pens, pencils, and potential galore! As students begin gearing up for the new school year ahead, Aspire of WNY is proud to announce its 3rd year of participation in the Equipping for Success School Supply Drive, hosted by Agents for Advocacy!
Agents for Advocacy, a Buffalo-based nonprofit organization founded by Mark Talley— a prominent speaker, community advocate, and award-winning author— works to create “a world where every individual, regardless of race, ethnicity, or background, can live free from fear and inequality.” The organization carries out this mission through advocacy, education, charity, and community engagement.
The Equipping for Success School Supply Drive aims to support students and families in Buffalo’s Jefferson neighborhood by providing essential supplies to help students succeed in school.
To prepare for the event, Aspire of WNY’s Quality Partnership on Diversity and Inclusion (QPDI) committee coordinated an agency-wide initiative to collect as many school supplies as possible. Each division was assigned specific items, resulting in a large collection of pencils, pens, binders, notebooks, folders, and calculators!
Aspire of WNY’s Intake and Outreach Team was present at the event to help distribute supplies. Students picked out their favorite backpack, and then went down the line to fill them with the school supplies they needed. Once their backpacks were all set, they got to enjoy a free chicken and waffle lunch courtesy of Agents for Advocacy!
In addition to distributing school supplies, our Intake and Outreach division also had information packets and other outreach materials on hand for anyone who was interested in learning more about the services that our agency provides!
The event took place on the future site of Loads of Love, an upcoming environmentally sustainable laundromat that will also house a café, apartments, an outdoor gazebo, and a community garden. This project is led by Barret & Benitez, a local minority-owned real estate development company, who was also present at the event.
Other organizations and vendors in attendance included United Healthcare, Gay and Lesbian Youth Services, Buffalo Plant Burger, and T Sweets Bakery!
Aspire of WNY is grateful for this awesome opportunity to connect with the community, helping students and families in Buffalo’s Jefferson neighborhood prepare for the upcoming school year. Our agency’s QPDI committee looks forward to more opportunities that will help expand Diversity and Inclusion efforts across our agency!
