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On August 12, 13, and 14, a total of 8,000 children and their families joined Eliot’s Family Resource Center (FRC) for a series of Back-To-School Community Celebrations in Everett, Haverhill, and Lynn. At each event, families received new backpacks and school supplies, enjoyed lunch and frozen treats from local food trucks, connected with other families and community-based organizations, and learned about accessible support resources as they begin the new school year.

Eliot is committed to providing a wraparound network of safety net and support services to clients, and events like these are especially crucial as the need for aid and resources grows in communities we serve. As Liliana Patino, Eliot’s Senior Director of Community Impact and Development, reflects, “During our first back-to-school event in 2018, we served 300 families. Over the years, the number of backpacks distributed and families served has increased significantly, as has the need for support.” This year, she recalls seeing one little girl hug her mother, saying, “Mom, you don’t have to worry anymore; I have a new backpack!” The girl’s mother smiled and responded, “You’re right, now I don’t have to worry.” Moments like these, Liliana says, remind all of us just how much impact the FRC team and Eliot make.

We would like to thank the Berlin Family Foundation for generously providing funding for these events, and the City of Everett, Haverhill YMCA, and Lynn School Department for providing event space. We are also grateful to the many elected officials, numerous community leaders and partners, and collaborative service providers who helped make these events a success.