Pasco Kids First serves more than 1,600 children each year through prevention, assessment and treatment services addressing child abuse and neglect.  Most of these children are school age and many do not have the resources to purchase the needed school supplies and clothes for the new year.  This year was even more difficult with most back-to-school events and school supply drives being canceled due to COVID.

Local businesses, individuals and groups reached out to help fill this need.  Some of these local philanthropists include:

  • Mike Peters Insurance Agency in New Port Richey donated to Pasco Kids First’s Children’s Advocacy Center. The State Farm Good Neigh Bear, Mr. Peters and his team visited the Center bringing boxes of school supplies, head phones, gift cards and more to help the kids get ready for the school year!

 

  • Dr. Bodanza with Champion Wellness Clinic and his Conforti Crossroads Chiropractic team in Trinity held their second annual event to collect backpacks and school supplies offering new and current patients free exams and adjustments for those who brought in a backpack with supplies.

 

  • Bonnie and Pat Martucci with the Gulf Side Corvette Club rallied their members and others to pitch in to purchase backpacks and supplies for kids in need. Bonnie and her granddaughter Kinsley delivered 38 backpacks filled with supplies to the Pasco Kids First Healthy Families Pasco-Hernando Hudson Office.

 

  • For 21 years, the Center for Urban Transportation Research (CUTR) at USF has been adopting kids in need for the school year served in East Pasco by the Healthy Families Program. The 2020 Coronavirus didn’t stop their generosity again this year. The CUTR team donated $825 in gift cards to allow our team and families to safely purchase the items most in need for the school year.

“Several families we serve at Pasco Kids First live paycheck to paycheck and had their hours cut back at work or lost their jobs completely due to the pandemic. They have to choose between paying bills, buying food and getting the kids ready for school”, stated Becky Bennett, Pasco Kids First Director of Development.  “We were fortunate to be able to assist many of these families thanks to the generosity of our community partners.”