Backpacks and essentials sent for the homeless in ECISD

Taking schoolwork home may get a little easier for some of the needy students in Odessa.

On Tuesday, Feed the Children in partnership with the National Association of Education Homeless Children and Youth, donated 960 backpacks filled with essentials for the homeless children in Ector County Independent School District.

Scott Randolph, lead social worker for ECISD’s community outreach center, said there are more than 800 children in the district who are classified as homeless. The backpacks will be given to students based on need. Randolph said “homeless” could mean multiple families living together out of economic hardship, families living out of their cars or in shelters. He said the backpacks are filled with toothpaste, shampoo, combs, school supplies, children’s books, deodorant and some non-perishable food.

“It was just amazing,” Randolph said. “When they told me how much they were donating I didn’t even think it would be that much.”

Randolph said that when the Feed the Children representatives arrived in Odessa on Tuesday morning with hundreds of backpacks which were greatly needed, he was grateful. He said they will give the backpacks to families as they come to the center and to some of the schools for counselors to handout as needed.

 “We already distributed one this morning,” Randolph said. “We’ll keep giving them out.”

Mark Opgrande, public relations manager for Feed the Children, said last year the organization donated about 150,000 backpacks and during the past few years has donated nearly 500,000 filled backpacks.

“There are about 1.6 million students homeless (in the nation),” Opgrande said. “Our mission is providing hope and resources.”

He said the National Association for the Education of Homeless Children and Youth identifies school districts in need of the supplies and works with Feed the Children to help meet their needs.

“It lets children walk in the room all their supplies,” Opgrande said. “They can hold their head up.”

@OAschools