Back to school: BMM funds 500 backpacks for kids in need
Our Opinion: A backpack giveaway helps families in need — and underscores how deep that need is in our Berkshire community
August 18, 2022
On Wednesday, The Berkshire Eagle and Berkshire Money Management teamed up to give free backpacks stuffed with school supplies to families in need ahead of the upcoming academic year.
This year’s back-to-school backpack giveaway was a bit different, though, according to organizers. In years past it would take hours to distribute the backpacks with a few typically left over, but on Wednesday all 500 backpacks were claimed across three locations within about a half-hour. The need among families with school-aged children appears to be deepening, and that should demand our attention across the greater Berkshire community …
… Credit to Berkshire Money Management and particularly CEO Allen Harris for again sponsoring a community-minded, material mission to address this real and growing need. Wednesday’s giveaway included pickup spots at The Eagle in Pittsfield, Berkshire Money Management in Dalton and Family Resource Centers in Great Barrington. That the backpacks reportedly disappeared similarly quickly in each location only further highlights a need not just deep but broad, stretching across our entire county.
