(Calumet City, IL) – South suburban Dolton School District 149 has found itself among the fortunate recipients of the generosity of the non-profit Enchanted Backpack, which this week donated school supplies to the students of Calumet City-based Caroline Sibley Elementary School that totaled $40,000.
Representatives of Enchanted Backpack, a charitable organization founded in 2017 by the Lavin Family Foundation that serves under-resourced elementary and middle schools in Northern Illinois and Northern Indiana, delivered to Caroline Sibley on Tuesday, February 8, two-van loads of items that included art supplies, winter clothing, hats, gloves, shoes, personal hygiene items, recess equipment, 1,500 new books and much more.
“We want to thank Enchanted Backpack for blessing our children and our community with these amazing donations of books, clothes, personal hygiene items, and other supplies,” said Dolton 149 Superintendent Dr. Shelly Davis-Jones at the impromptu welcoming ceremony. “You have deeply impacted the lives of the children and families in this community, and these gifts will bring joy into their homes and lives and the 1,500 donated books will support our ‘Balanced Literacy’ program.”
Caroline Sibley’s principal, BeNita Parker, was alerted to Enchanted Backpack’s charitable work and she subsequently submitted an application on behalf of the school to the Chicago-based non-profit to be considered for a donation.
“I am ecstatic and overjoyed, and most appreciative to Enchanted Backpack; these donations wildly exceeded my expectations,” said Parker. “Our students and our teachers will benefit from Enchanted Backpack’s generous donation, allowing students to learn beyond the walls of Caroline Sibley at home with the 1,500 books included among the gifts.”
The donations included: colored pencils, loose leaf paper, construction paper, crayons, dry erasers, dry erase markers, scissors, underwear, markers, pens, permanent markers, pocket folders, sticky notes, staplers, staples, tape, three ring binders, composition notebooks, pencils, copy paper, erasers, glue sticks, highlighters, index cards, art supplies, deodorant, toothbrushes, toothpaste, shoes, headphones/earbuds, electric pencil sharpeners, spiral notebooks, winter jackets, socks, t-Shirts, hats, gloves, board games, and recess equipment (variety of balls, jump ropes and more).
Dolton 149’s Board of Education president, Rayya Ghani, also added to the chorus of the district’s appreciation.
Source: https://patch.com/illinois/southside/enchanted-backpack-donations-dolton-149-total-40-000