The distributions took place Aug. 19 and Aug. 21 at the Family Service Centers in the Northeast, North, and Southwest sections of Philadelphia. Families also received books, food, personal care items, and information about community assistance programs.<\/p>\n
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Backpacks filled with school supplies and books are displayed on a distribution table during a Catholic Charities of Philadelphia back-to-school event at the Southwest Philadelphia Family Service Center.<\/p>\n
In Southwest Philadelphia, families received backpacks filled with school supplies as well as books, personal hygiene kits, COVID-19 tests, fresh fruits and vegetables, and refreshments. Organizers distributed about 200 backpacks, double the number originally planned.<\/p>\n
Among those in attendance was Tutugirl James, whose 5-year-old son not only got to receive a backpack, but the chance to choose the color he wanted.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a help that they are donating to us,\u201d said James, who lives five blocks away. \u201cIt\u2019s not easy, especially when you have a lot of kids, so I\u2019m so happy to receive.\u201d<\/p>\n
Her son, a fan of math, got to pick a blue backpack.<\/p>\n
Casa del Carmen in North Philadelphia\u2019s Hunting Park neighborhood, and the Family Service Center in Northeast Philadelphia\u2019s Holmesburg neighborhood, joined in distributing backpacks. Some students in the Northeast also participated in a school supply scavenger hunt.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe parents appreciate it,\u201d said Lola DeCarlo-Coles, the administrator at the Southwest Philadelphia Family Service Center.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe money is just not there. Groceries are so expensive. So it\u2019s been fun for them to be able to come and have their child pick out their own bookbag.\u201d<\/p>\n
About 10 Drexel University nursing students volunteered at the event, helping distribute backpacks, school supplies, and food.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s always a great opportunity for us to learn more about giving, helping the community,\u201d said Justin Boateng, a Drexel nursing student.<\/p>\n
\u201cPeople look forward to coming here, and it\u2019s not just \u2018grab something and go,\u2019 but they sometimes want to talk to us,\u201d he said. \u201cThey build relationships with the staff around here for Catholic Charities, and it seems like it\u2019s a true relationship with the community.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ginger Girard, a clinical instructor at Drexel University, said students in the university\u2019s Population Health program volunteer regularly at community sites in Philadelphia including Catholic Charities\u2019 St. Edmond Senior Community Center in South Philadelphia.<\/p>\n
She said the experience helps students better understand the social and economic challenges many residents face and how those challenges can affect health outcomes.<\/p>\n
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Drexel University nursing students pose with a local resident during a Catholic Charities of Philadelphia back-to-school event at the Southwest Philadelphia Family Service Center. (Jay Sorgi)<\/p>\n
\u201cThe students really get a joy out of serving,\u201d Girad said. \u201cThey give from the heart, and they see people in need, and it makes them feel good at the end of the day that they\u2019re able to provide services for these people,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Girard said she is also impressed by the range of programs offered by Catholic Charities of Philadelphia.<\/p>\n
\u201cPeople don\u2019t understand on a whole how much the Catholic Church gives to the public,\u201d she said. \u201cOf all the programs I\u2019ve been involved with, I see that the archdiocese gives more to the community than any other services I\u2019ve ever been involved with.\u201d<\/p>\n
Boateng said the backpack program serves people of a variety of backgrounds.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt brings people together. This is what it\u2019s all about,\u201d he said. \u201cWe want to reach out to everyone. We want to make sure that everyone is heard and every voice is heard.\u201d<\/p>\n
The event also coincided with the center\u2019s monthly food distribution for seniors. Eligible recipients received 30 pound boxes of proteins, cereals, rice, canned foods and a three-pound block of cheese. Community members also donated infant formula to be used during a separate monthly distribution.<\/p>\n
Representatives from the City of Philadelphia\u2019s BenePhilly program attended the event to offer information and ways to apply for benefits ranging from health insurance and prescription drugs to assistance with utility assistance, and college-related costs.<\/p>\n
The backpack giveaways were also held at multiple Catholic Charities sites across the city. At the Family Service Center in Northeast Philadelphia, about 25 children received backpacks and school supplies, and Oblate Father Jack Kolodziej blessed the bags and prayed with students as they prepared for the school year.<\/p>\n
In North Philadelphia, Casa del Carmen distributed more than 100 backpacks and school-supply kits. In Kensington, The Cenacle at Padre Pio, a collaboration among Catholic Charities, the Pro-Life Union of Greater Philadelphia, and the Capuchin Friars, provided 75 backpacks filled with school supplies as well as hygiene products.<\/p>\n
The Family Service Centers serve as Catholic Charities\u2019 primary points of contact for individuals and families seeking assistance. Five centers operate across the five-county region, offering services including food and diaper pantries, prenatal and parenting support, financial assistance, referrals to public benefits, and other family support resources.<\/p>\n
DeCarlo-Coles said the center\u2019s longstanding presence in the neighborhood has helped build trust among local residents.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re trusted. That\u2019s a big thing,\u201d she said. \u201cWe\u2019ve been here a little over 20 years, and we\u2019ve been told that it\u2019s a place where people trust us.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"By Jay Sorgi \u2022 Posted August 28, 2026 Three Catholic Charities of Philadelphia Family Service Centers distributed hundreds…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":274189,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[44072,3918,115287,8364,69,71,70],"class_list":["post-274188","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-philadelphia","tag-back-to-school","tag-catholic-charities-of-philadelphia","tag-family-service-centers","tag-jay-sorgi","tag-philadelphia","tag-philadelphia-headlines","tag-philadelphia-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/274188","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=274188"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/274188\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/274189"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=274188"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=274188"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=274188"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}