Hundreds of students receive backpacks before school begins
SAN DIEGO (KUSI) — Around a thousand students in Lincoln Park are ready to start school next week. One San Diego partnered with “U-Store-It Self Storage” to hold a backpack giveaway.
A thousand Porter Elementary school kids lined up early Thursday morning to get a free back pack and more. Fatima Mayo was especially excited about the pencil box.
"You could store a lot of things in it." said the third grader.
Adding to the excitement, each child got to pick out their supplies.
"I got a blue pencil box, a note book, some colors" said Mayo.
"Pencils, rulers backpacks, notebooks, pencil pouches, pencil boxes and any of it. It’s too much!" said Kimberly Vargas who’s also going to third grade
The community came together to help make this possible; leading the way, the non-profit One San Diego and U-Store-It Self Storage in Lincoln Park.
"Community policing and public safety is a shared responsibility so all of us coming together, how wonderful is it that these kids are just looking forward to going to school and be able to get their school supplies because they may not have been able to purchase that so we all feel wonderful being able to do this." said Police Chief Shelley Zimmerman.
The kids were certainly feeling good… even if you couldn’t tell. Young Miguel Vargas Portillo was pretty excited despite being hungry.
" I’m so hungry I want a hamburger"
Well guess what, they didn’t have hamburgers but these families were treated to free hot dogs and not just any hot dogs— these were Mexican-style bacon wrapped gourmet hot dogs courtesy of Doggos Gus.
"We go all out and put pico de gallo, chipotle, grilled onions, guacamole, jalapenos. I always want to help people with limited means and it’s always fun to watch them enjoy my hot dog and watch them ask ‘can I have another one? Can I have another one?’ said Gustavo Tonella, Owner of Doggos Gus.
It was no doubt a successful back to school event to help these children achieve their full potential when they go back to school next week.
