"Seeing our little clients walk out of the clinic with their backpacks on and their parents full of relief because they have their school materials is wonderful."

Lead Community Health Worker, Lilian Amaya

Thanks to Amerigroup's donation of 180 backpacks and all the folders, notebooks and writing utensils needed to fill them, this year will be a whole lot less stressful for families experiencing housing instability. 

Debbie Wilcox, LCSW-C, a social worker on our pediatrics and family medicine team, explains the barriers families without homes face when it comes to back-to-school season: “Schools aren’t well equipped to identify homelessness. I’ve met parents who don’t have the resources needed to get their kids in school, so they just give up.” 

But, because of these donations, when a child walks through the doors of our clinics, not only do they get care they can't get anywhere else, they also leave ready to take on the school year with confidence. 

Our pediatric providers see the smiles of every family that receives one of these backpacks. Director of Pediatrics Dr. Iris Leviner says, "I am so grateful to be at a place where we consider those barriers and offer resources to address them. I love being able to offer a tangible thing that can make going back to school easier."

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