By Susie Unkeless

Elementary school students from Albert Einstein Academy are making going back to school easier for dozens of deserving families in Santa Clarita. On July 25, AEA students participated in Help the Children’s Christmas in July School Supply and Toy Drive at Walmart.

Together with volunteers from the Veterans Advocacy Network, students passed out a list of suggested supplies to shoppers. At the end of the day, hundreds of pounds of supplies, toys and food items were collected, packed up and taken back to the Help the Children warehouse.

In conversation with Help the Children organizers in the days following the event, AEA’s Community Service Chairperson Rebecca Feuerman realized there was still more that could be done.

“We collected so many supplies and food items in just a few hours,” said Feuerman, “but I noticed the supply list the kids were handing out didn’t include anything to carry the supplies to school.”

So, putting 2 and 2 together, Feuerman came up with a solution.

The plan was simple … post a cryptic message on Facebook and take it from there.

Looking for some families who want to help us surprise Help the Children and earn and little community service.  Message me or respond to this post if you are interested!

Feuerman didn’t have to wait long. Within minutes, families were joining the campaign. Posts started popping up from AEA families that wanted to make a difference.

Kavitha Nair, whose eight year-old daughter, Parvathi , attends AEA, took Feuerman’s idea one step further. Nair, who works at Status Not Quo, a Valencia-based a software consulting firm, mentioned the idea during a meeting with company management. Seeing this as another way to help the community, the company donated 10 backpacks.

On August 1, Feuerman and a group of AEA students gathered at the Help the Children facility in Santa Clarita with carloads of backpacks, handmade cards and smiles all around. The result … 62 backpacks piled high.

According to Mike Santomauro, Director at Help the Children Santa Clarita, the supplies and toys collected during the Christmas in July event will be distributed not only to the families that shop at Help the Children, but also to veteran families throughout Santa Clarita.

AEA and its students are committed to making a difference in the community. Students are required to perform a minimum of 10 hours of community service every year.

Albert Einstein Elementary is a public charter K-6 elementary school with campuses in Santa Clarita and Agua Dulce.