Sandpipers' Back to School Shopping Event Supports 75 Kids
Aug 14, 2024 09:37AM ● By Mb News Staff
(Sandpipers members outside Kohl's in Torrance at their Back-to-School shopping project on Sunday. Photo via Sandpipers.)
Sandpipers, South Bay’s largest philanthropic organization, hosted its annual Back-to-School Shopping event on August 11 at Kohl’s in Torrance.
The event, first held in 1999, benefits over 75 underprivileged youth in the South Bay. Each child is referred by one of twelve of Sandpipers’ local nonprofit partner agencies and then paired with a member of Sandpipers, who assists them in selecting school clothes, shoes, uniforms, and supplies valued at $250-$350 per child.
Additionally, Sandpipers donates backpacks loaded with school supplies for each student.
Kohl’s provides support to the program by opening its doors before normal business hours, providing staffing for the event, and offering a 20 percent discount on Sandpipers’ purchases with no sales tax.
“As a school teacher, I know how important it is for a child to have clothes that reflect his or her
interests, individuality, and identity," said Dayna Bubenicek, Sandpipers' 2024-25 president. "In collaboration with Kohl’s and our generous community donors, Sandpipers’ Back to School Shopping program empowers deserving children, many of whom have never received brand-new shoes or clothing, by giving them confidence in how they look and feel for the first day of school."
Bubenicek continued: "Back-to-School Shopping is one of our membership’s favorite philanthropic events because members get to see the direct impact we are making on children in our community.”
Sandpipers, founded in 1931, is a volunteer organization dedicated to serving the needs of the South Bay community through charitable and philanthropic programs, with 100% of its proceeds going to those in need in the community. With more than 800 volunteer members, Sandpipers has raised and distributed more than $2.2 million dollars in the past five years to those most in need in the South Bay. Its various programs include, but are not limited to Emergency Casework, Back-to-School Shopping, Holiday Baskets, College Scholarships, and Community Grants. For more information, see www.sandpipers.org.
