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Arcadia Weekly Aug 26, 2011
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By Susan Motander
Remember the first day of school every year. In my family that meant new clothes all the way down to underwear and shoes. Of course there were new school supplies depended on what we needed for that grade, pencils for lower grades along with rulers and paper, binders and everything up to slide rules in high school (that should date me).
Foothill Unity Center process the same for the school aged children of its client families. The Center normally supplies food and information for low income families and individuals. It’s Back to School Distribution is a special event which tries to put these young people on the same footing as their classmates.
More than 1800 young people from kindergarten through high school, approximately the same number as last year signed up in advance for the distribution on August 18. As always, the students are provided which what they need to start out the year. There were even new features this year.
Perhaps one of the “extras” the young people, especially the littler ones, was the result of the collaboration between ITT Systems in Monrovia and JPL of La Canada/Flintridge which has the youngsters looking at Space Exploration in a different way. There were 3-D glasses so they could view Mars in a new way and a slightly smaller version of the Mars Rover which rolled over Martian rocks (consisting of the backs of the kids, so they could have an idea of how the Rover works.
As usual, the actual school supplies and clothes were distributed at the Top ‘O the Stretch. The large open room at the west end of the Main building at Santa Anita Race Track. The track supplies the facility and the large outdoor area below it for the distribution and provides support including electric carts to help move some of the clients and fans to keep the indoor room slightly cooler.
The students received age appropriate supplies, back packs (in which to store everything) and clothes (uniforms for the younger grade students, street clothes for those in high school. Everything was provided including socks, underwear and, thanks to the Tzu Chi Buddhist Compassion Relief Foundation, even a voucher for shoes. Citrus College Cosmetology students gave haircuts and manicures to any who wanted them.
That was just the start. State Senators and Assembly members provided younger students with coloring books regarding the Constitution and state government (for older students and parents there were state resource guides and information). Local care givers and hospitals provided information and basic first aid supplies. There was even child level information about finances and savings and vouchers for hearing tests. Walgreens provided basic personal hygiene supplies. There was also face painting and temporary tattoos. And the upstairs was just the start.
Outdoors, under the trees, there were vision screening care of Western University while USC School of Dentistry provided dental checks. Monrovia Reads gave each child a book while the local libraries (especially Monrovia) handed out information regarding library locations and hours.
Various companies had other games and information for the students and their families. There was an entire area set aside for Paint ‘N Play where the young people could paint their own choice of ceramic figures. Here they could really let their creativity run wild with great colors and where their ideas were the only limits on what they created.
And there was the food. Panda Restaurant Group (Panda Inn and Panda Express) provided egg rolls for everyone and a chance to win other items. Robin’s Wood fire BBQ in Pasadena had corn on the cob, dripping in butter sauce, for all the youngsters. McDonald’s provided one of their new healthy snacks, apple slices for dipping, and everywhere there was lots of cool water.
As they kids staggered out they were carrying all their new supplies, clothes and more. Their parents were armed with information and phone numbers for resources. As they returned to the parking lot, many of the slightly more eager students munched on their corn on the cob.
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