Ventura, CA - Shopping for school supplies is usually not an easy task, especially for families who can’t afford to buy these materials. Each fall, the Rotary Club of Ventura, in conjunction with the Downtown Ventura Lions Club, provides backpacks for kids who otherwise would not have supplies for school. This year, the Rotary Club gave new backpacks and school supplies to 510 deserving children in the Ventura Unified School District. Each backpack was filled with paper, folders, pencils, crayons, markers, calculators, glue sticks, and much more!

“Providing new backpacks filled with supplies is a great way to welcome in the new school year,” said Rotarian Ellyn Dembowski, who chairs the Backpack Program. The program put a smile on every student who received a new backpack, and the parents are grateful knowing they have a bit more money to provide for the basic necessities.

The backpack project is made possible year after year through the generous donations of supplies and money collected by Rotarians, as well as funds from the club’s Julius Gius Foundation. These gifts are a visible reminder that we live in a community that cares for our families in need.

The Rotary Club of Ventura also provides dictionaries to local schools, scholarships, coats for children in need, a children’s holiday event, and many other local and international programs.