By late August, the summer heat is starting to fade, and it’s time to trade pool noodles for No. 2 pencils. Students across Boston are getting ready for the new school year and filling their backpacks with supplies. To help, the Corey C. Griffin Foundation is hosting its annual back-to-school drive in Dorchester, giving out backpacks filled with school supplies to children across the city. That makes the foundation the perfect choice for this week’s Joy Beat.
Corey C. Griffin Foundation President Chandra Clark joined GBH’s All Things Considered host Saraya Wintersmith to talk about the organization’s work and its annual back-to-school drive. What follows is a lightly edited transcript of their conversation:
Saraya Wintersmith: So Chandra, this is your fifth annual back-to-school drive. It’s a big milestone. How did your foundation get the first back-to-school drive started, and what made you want to do it again?
Chandra Clark: We got the first back-to-school drive started because we saw the need through our current partners, which are [the Massachusetts Association of Minority Law Enforcement Officers] and St. John Paul Academy Lower Mills. And at the time, those two organizations were leading a back-to-school event, giving away about 100 backpacks per year. As a sponsor, as a grant-making organization, it really is our role to partner with organizations in need, especially because the common denominator is our love for kids. And so we saw that by partnering with MAMLEO and St. John Paul Academy Lower Mills, we could actually expand their resources and elevate the impact of the annual back-to-school drive. And now we love it. It is something that we anticipate every year. We love to call the kids that we serve Corey’s Kids. And so in our mind, any child that is impacted by resources from our organization, we lovingly call them Corey’s Kids. So we gather the community around, and we really ask for their support, whether it’s through time, talent, or treasure, to help us to be able to support more kids getting ready for the school year every year.
Wintersmith: What’s the most joyful part about all of it for you personally?
Clark: The most joyful part is the kids and seeing their reaction to getting this brand-new backpack. It’s so wonderful that I’m getting to have this conversation with you today because yesterday we said we’d impact 4,000 backpacks and filled them with school supplies. And we completed our project in record time, because we had more volunteers in addition to having more resources than we’ve ever had. And so when we all come together on the day of the event, we love, and I love seeing the kids that are so excited to have their brand new backpack filled with school supplies.
Wintersmith: Chandra, I love that. Tell me about some of the most memorable reactions you’ve seen from the kids when they get these brand new backpacks and they’re filled with supplies.
Clark: I remember last year, one lovely young lady, she had to be in about third or fourth grade, and her eyes were just so big when she opened the backpack, because they’re New Balance. So those are also really cool. We want to make sure the backpacks are cool and relevant. She opens it up, and she sees all these school supplies, and we actually captured her on video, and she’s like, ‘Thank you, Cory’s Griffin Foundation!’ That happens every year, all the time, but there are those moments when you have maybe a child, they’re coming to the event for the first time, and they’re just so in awe of this new shiny thing that is theirs.
Wintersmith: Are there any other particular moments you find yourself looking forward to every year? Any parents, volunteers?
Clark: I love that you say that, because I’m also a parent. My daughter is grown now, but I remember the stress of getting ready for back to school, especially if you are dealing with limited resources. And I can tell you that every year my favorite part is the parents and their gratitude, just telling us how thankful they are, how much they appreciate that they don’t have to worry about this aspect of preparing for the school year. And in particular, last year I had a parent sitting in the tent with me as we’re, you know, welcoming kids, welcoming parents. And she was just so grateful that we’re paying attention to this often overlooked aspect of getting kids ready for the school year.
Wintersmith: I want to ask — academics, they’re pretty tech-focused now. Why do you think kids should keep starting their school years with pencils and crayons and backpacks and things like that?
Clark: That’s a great question, and it’s because it’s really about development, right? They’re the tools of using paper and pens and writing and arithmetic. Those are things that students will always need, and so it’s so important that they start the school year with supplies that focus on the basics, but kind of, I like to say, old school items, because it also is such a personal approach, right? It gives them the confidence to know that this is theirs, that they are in charge of their learning, and that by having their pen and their paper, they get to kind of dictate what their journey looks like.
Wintersmith: Are there any big plans for this year? I think I read that last year’s drive ended up being one of the city’s biggest back-to-school events.
Clark: Yes, and it will continue to be the biggest event. So we’re excited this year. We also want it to be a cool day. So we have a barber on site. We have food trucks, we have ice cream, we have games. And then there’s a really cool element led by St. John Paul Lower Mills, where the teachers come and meet their students and parents, some of them for the first time. So we’re just really excited for the new, I would say, new students, new families that are experiencing the event for the first time and the love. Like, our theme as an organization really is all about being a force of love. And I think you see that resonate in the faces of the kids and the parents when they see the volunteers come together, members of this organization dedicating their time to really pour into them and lift them up.
Wintersmith: Is that what you hope children and families feel when they come to visit the Corey C. Griffin Foundation during your back-to-school drive? Is it love?
Clark: Absolutely. It’s all about love. And, you know, this Sunday will be the 12th anniversary of Corey’s passing. So again, it’s very timely. And one thing about Corey’s legacy is that he led with love and he led with love for all people. And that is really what we desire to embody as an organization.
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