L.A. Care Health Plan and Blue Shield of California Promise Health Plan will provide up to 1,500 free backpacks to school kids on Thursday, August 1, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., for an annual Back-to-School event at their Metro L.A. Community Resource Center (CRC), 1233 S. Western Ave near Pico Blvd. The new backpacks are filled with basic supplies like notebooks, pens, and pencils to help better prepare students for a successful school year.
“As a health plan that understands the link between social needs and overall health and well-being,” said L.A. Care CEO John Baackes, “we are thrilled to provide backpacks and essential school supplies to countless families who continue to feel the pinch from the ever-growing cost of living. When students are better prepared for school, they are more confident and more likely to succeed, and that’s a big win for everyone.”
L.A. Care collects data from its members to track and assess a community’s health needs and leverages that data to communicate with their regular resource center visitors about the communities they live in. The CRC also looks at community health needs assessments conducted by the County Department of Public Health and local hospitals.
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“We want children across L.A. County to have the tools they need for a successful school year,” stated Penny Griego, media relations specialist at L.A. Care Health Plan.
“Something as simple as a backpack and a few school supplies to start a school year can give students the confidence they need to have a much better learning experience.
“For some families, especially those with multiple children, the cost of a backpack and school supplies can place a serious financial challenge on the family, and we would like to help relieve them of that burden,” she said.
L.A. Care operates its CRCs with Blue Shield of California Promise. The community healthcare partners are in the process of giving away up to 18,000 backpacks this summer at their annual Back-to-School events that began on July 2 and will continue through August 17. There are 16 events scheduled across Los Angeles County, which are free and open to the entire community
“This year marks five years of our collaboration with L.A. Care to improve health and social outcomes through our 12 community resource centers across LA County,” said Jennifer Schirmer, Blue Shield Promise vice president of Growth.
“We’re proud of the impact we’re making, like offering fitness classes, mental health workshops, food pantries, and resource fairs to local communities, including our holiday resource fairs where we connect families to local social services. Our L.A. Care and Blue Shield Promise CRCs are an inclusive and safe space where community members can gather to improve their physical and mental well-being,” she stated.
Families can enjoy activities at the Metro L.A. event on August 1 and learn about community resources, like children’s health screenings, and vaccinations. The event is a cost-saving resource for many families who struggle to make ends meet due to the high cost of consumer goods.
“We expect to distribute 1,500 backpacks at the Metro L.A. event on August 1 and approximately 18,000 backpacks at our events across the county by August 17,” Griego concluded.
L.A. Care Health Plan is the largest health plan in L.A. County, serving more than one of every four Angelenos in low-income communities. For more information, visit https://www.communityresourcecenterla.org/locations/metro-la
Blue Shield of California Promise partners with L.A. Care to provide Medi-Cal benefits to help families with healthy lifestyles. For more information, visit www.blueshieldca.com/promise.
