Buffalo Scoop

The ROC Back-to-school Event supports rural families living in poverty

Aug 24, 2024 | Events

The ROC will be distributing over 300 school-supply-filled backpacks!

Limited funding for rural school districts impacts the ability of rural families on tight budgets to provide the resources their children need to thrive in school.

On Aug. 26, The Rural Outreach Center (ROC) will be distributing over 300 school-supply-filled backpacks to children in multiple rural districts. The distribution event will be at The ROC’s campus, located just south of East Aurora. Events will also be held for the Pioneer, parts of Springville Griffith and other rural districts.

In addition to receiving backpacks, students can get free haircuts, school photos and health-related screenings. 

The ROC has been hosting back-to-school parties for over 10 years, distributing several thousand backpacks while increasing awareness of The ROC resources available to families to improve the trajectory of their lives.

The ROC engages with rural families to empower them to set goals to improve housing, education, cash reserves and 13 other measures of social well-being. The backpack, winter clothing and other community outreach programs increase awareness of the many resources The ROC provides to improve the trajectory of individual lives and the communities in which they live.

Kelly Shanahan, Care & Outreach Coordinator, remarked that parents will frequently express gratitude that they aren’t forced to make a choice between putting food on the table and ensuring that their children have the supplies they need to start school.

The ROC, located at 730 Olean Road in East Aurora, assists, empowers and elevates the impoverished rural populations in southern Erie County and surrounding areas. The organization’s staff and volunteers serve with compassion, empathy and respect for all people.  For children, The ROC’s goal is to break the cycle of multi-generational poverty by providing counseling, play therapy, educational opportunities and growth experiences.

For more information on the good work being done every day by The Rural Outreach Center, please visit http://theroc.co or call (716) 240-2220. You can also follow the organization on Facebook for frequent updates.