5th annual Los Angeles backpack giveaway set for Thursday

With the new school year rapidly approaching, Los Angeles will be hosting its annual a backpack giveaway conducted by the Department of Public Social Services (DPSS) Toy Loan Program on Thursday, Aug. 5

The DPSS and Director Antonia Jimenez will be joined by Hilda Solis, the L.A. County Board of Supervisors Chair, to help conduct the event.  The event will take place at the DPSS’s headquarters at 2615 South Grand Avenue.

The giveaway is specifically designed to help children of low-income families that are between the ages of five through 17. For the last five years, L.A. County employees have donated over 3,600 backpacks.

The Toy Loan Program, which has been around dating back to the Great Depression, was developed to give kids the chance to accept both enjoyable and essential donations. This upcoming August event, however, will be focusing on the latter.

With the financial impact of COVID-19 still being felt countywide, the need for backpacks is as high as ever before. With the help of Oakwood High School senior Owen Lichtman — who created an organization known as “Student 2 Student” — the DPSS is prepared to donate 500 backpacks full with rulers, pens, pencils, notebooks, calculators and erasers in this year’s giveaway.

Along with practicing social distancing by placing the items into each vehicle throughout the event, the giveaway will also be offering an opportunity for families that were referred by their DPSS caseworkers to receive the COVID-19 vaccine from the Department of Public Health for free.

In order to receive a backpack, families must pre-register for an appointment by either emailing an RSVP to toyloan@dpss.lacounty.gov or by calling (213) 744-4344. The event is scheduled to begin at 12 p.m.

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