Platform of Hope Back To School Give-A-Way

ABERDEEN, Miss. (WCBI) – Thanks to a non-profit organization, hundreds of children in Monroe county received back to school backpacks.

This weekend, Platform of Hope came to Aberdeen, Mississippi.

The Back to School Bash provided an exciting and positive start to the upcoming year in addition to alleviating the financial burden of purchasing school supplies.

Doris Smith was raised in Aberdeen and is the Founder and Executive Director of Platform of Hope, headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia.

She felt it was important to come back to her roots.

“I love Aberdeen. I love the people of Mississippi. I grew up playing every day right in this park, so it’s extremely sentimental. I grew up some 300 feet from here. The house is no longer standing but that space is still there. This is sentimental to me so I wanted to impact with at least 300 backpacks to the community. I still have family here. I have deep roots still in Mississippi, so I would be unfulfilled not to provide some services and resources to back home,” said Smith.

Jacqueline Posley is on the executive board of Platform of Hope and is the daughter of the founder.

“We believe in them as they start the school year, so there’s no better way to show that than with a good time and with the school supplies to start the year,” said Posley.

There was plenty to do. The children got to bounce around in the inflatable and got a visit from the Aberdeen Fire Department which gave out firefighter hats.

There was plenty to eat. Another member of the Board of Directors, Dallas Brock, who grew up in Columbus and attends Mississippi State served snow cones.

“Well I think, if anything, it takes the financial strain off the parents. If you look at the school supplies list for younger grades, it can get pretty expensive,”said Brock.

Barbara Vasser works for the city of Aberdeen and is very pleased that Platform of Hope put on this event.

“We are trying to make the children excited about the coming school year. Let them know that we care, and we’re trying to provide anything that they need and appear for them. It’s exciting for our town and for Monroe county to be a part of their lives and to just be there for them because our kids are our future. We need all the knowledge and experience of life that we can offer to them,” said Vasser.

The back pack is an essential part of a child’s school day.

“Oftentimes, many students and their families may not be able to afford the extensive school supply list, so a backpack is easy to carry not to mention durable. It lasts a great while, and it’s convenient for them to carry and store their items in,” said Vasser.

“It’s just necessary. I mean when you’re student, it becomes like an extension of you like you put all your school stuff in it, and you use it for personal things,”said Brock.

All the backpacks were brimming with school supplies.

Platform of Hope intends to have similar “Back to School” bashes in other communities in Northeast Mississippi.