The Antelope Valley Times

Your community. Your issues. Your news.

  • Home
  • Latest News
  • Local
    • Palmdale
    • Lancaster
    • Los Angeles County
    • Littlerock
    • Lake Los Angeles
    • Rosamond
    • Edwards AFB
    • Acton
  • Crime
  • Politics
  • Education
  • Health
  • Business
  • Opinion
    • Advertise
    • About
    • Contact Us
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    Show Search

SAVES backpack giveaway helps hundreds in need

by M. Dilworth • August 8, 2014

Pastor Abner Diaz of Life Church Antelope Valley (left) gives four backpacks filled with school supplies to Yuliana Garcia and two of her five children. Life Church Antelope Valley donated more than 300 of the 600 backpacks that were distributed to families in need Friday at South Antelope Valley Emergency Services (SAVES).
Pastor Abner Diaz of Life Church Antelope Valley (left) gives four backpacks filled with school supplies to Yuliana Garcia and two of her five children. Life Church Antelope Valley donated more than 300 of the 600 backpacks that were distributed to families in need Friday at South Antelope Valley Emergency Services (SAVES).

PALMDALE – Hundreds of Palmdale school children have brand-new backpacks and supplies for the first day of school, thanks to a backpack giveaway Friday at South Antelope Valley Emergency Services (SAVES).

SAVES Coordinator Patricia Morales shows the school supplies inside the backpacks for high school students -- pencil boxes, calculators, erasable pens, dictionaries, three ring binders, notebook paper, erasers, staplers, graph paper, and flash drives.
SAVES Coordinator Patricia Morales shows the school supplies inside the backpacks for high school students — pencil boxes, calculators, erasable pens, dictionaries, three ring binders, notebook paper, erasers, staplers, graph paper, and flash drives.

“We’re providing, this year, 600 backpacks to our community,” said SAVES Coordinator Patricia Morales, adding that the backpacks are filled with school supplies according to age and grade level. “We tried very hard to make sure that we got them good quality backpacks that would make it through the year and school supplies to last them a long time,” Morales said.

Local families in need pre-registered in July for Friday’s backpack giveaway, according to Morales. To qualify, families had to show proof of income, address and number of people in the household.

“Based on those [criteria], they qualified for SAVES services, and this is one of the services that we provide,” Morales said, adding that the service is especially important for the community.

“It’s important because back to school should be an exciting time for children; they should be going back to school filled with hope that the next year will bring better things,” Morales said. “I think it is a good opportunity for the community to say to these families, no matter how their financial situations might be, ‘we care enough and we want your child to go [back to school] on the same level as everybody else.’”

The backpacks and supplies were purchased using community donations.
The backpacks and supplies were purchased using community donations.

The backpacks and supplies were purchased using community donations. More than half of the backpacks were donated by Life Church Antelope Valley in Palmdale.

“We donated over 300 backpacks,” said the church’s pastor, Abner Diaz. “It’s important because we see the need in our community, and we’re always looking to fill needs in our community.”

Diaz said the church has donated hundreds of backpacks to residents in need every year for the past three years.

Back to school should be an exciting time for children, coordinators of the giveaway said.
Back to school should be an exciting time for children, coordinators of the giveaway said.

This year, the congregation decided to join forces with SAVES, Diaz said. Members of the congregation also pitched in to distribute the backpacks at the SAVES office Friday morning.

“It brings joy to us to be able to serve our community,” Diaz said.

The SAVES program was started in 1983 to offer assistance to South Antelope Valley individuals and families who are experiencing a temporary emergency situation. For more information on this program, call 661-267-5191.

Filed Under: Education, Palmdale

2 comments for "SAVES backpack giveaway helps hundreds in need"

  1. Edgar Dominguez says

    August 8, 2014 at 9:44 pm

    Hello! I have a question! Are you guys having the giving this Saturday thanks

    • lighthouse church says

      August 15, 2014 at 12:24 am

      if u need a backpack u can contact the palmdale ligthouse ..across the street from afordable tire

Recent Comments

  • Pussy Galore on Readers Speak Out! (January 2023): “@Roger “Turbulent” Waters A thought expericment with the cat being either dead or alive isn’t much of a thought experiment…” Jun 10, 12:30
  • Concerned citizen on Motorcyclist killed in Lancaster traffic collision, driver arrested for DUI: “Obviously you are a habitual drunk driver if you are advocating for drunk drivers. What a shame! It doesn’t matter…” Jun 10, 09:36
  • Immanuel Can't (misspelled on purpose) on Readers Speak Out! (January 2023): “oh, yeah…. what is a citizen without equity called… W84ITT a slave” Jun 10, 09:12
  • Demosthenes on Readers Speak Out! (January 2023): “‘Equity’ and ‘Equality’ – agreed – are two very different things. “Equity” is a piece of the action, skin in…” Jun 10, 09:08
  • Eric Cartman on Readers Speak Out! (January 2023): “Indictment – good Incarceration – even better” Jun 10, 08:58

Copyright © 2023 · The AV Times LLC. All rights reserved. Terms of Use