from staff
Prudential Network Realty, along with affiliates Gibraltar Title Services and Gibraltar Mortgage, held its 9th Annual Backpack Challenge this summer and generated a record number of backpacks and school supplies for local school children in foster care.
The real estate professionals collected and distributed 466 backpacks filled with school supplies during this year’s campaign – a figure that is more than double what was collected last year. The backpacks and supplies were given to the Children’s Home Society, an adoption, foster care, safe haven and family/youth assistance services organization that helps more than 160,000 children and adults annually around the state.
“Children in foster care leave behind everything they’ve come to know – their home, possessions, friends and even siblings,” said Linda Sherrer, founder, president and CEO of Prudential Network Realty. “This is a tangible way we can help these children and meet the needs of our community. I am moved by the generosity of our team and know these backpacks will make a positive impact on the lives of First Coast children.”
Throughout the month of July, backpacks and school supplies were collected at Prudential Network Realty’s eight offices in Northeast Florida. The backpacks were filled with school items such as pencils, pens, crayons and glue sticks.
“This program helps give children something critically important to them – their own school supplies,” said Sherrer. “A backpack filled with needed, useful items can also help give a child a sense of security and ownership no matter where they are.”