Check out this heartwarming story of how a foundation in Valdosta, Fl is changing the lives of students with Blended Designs backpacks. 

Via. Valdosta Daily Times 

VALDOSTA — The H. DeWayne & Amanda Johnson BridgeBuilder Education Foundation announced the winner of its second annual backpack giveaway. 

Precious Griffin, a fifth-grade student at Sallas Mahone Elementary School, was presented the backpack by DeWayne Johnson, organizer of the giveaway, with her mother, Shelbie Preston, and Principal Dr. Autrice Haugabrook in attendance, organizers said.

Precious’ mother submitted her name as an entry in the BridgeBuilder Education Foundation Backpack Giveaway conducted online.

According to the foundation, the giveaway is completed with support from its donors and as an effort to inspire local young students and provide a quality backpack that reflects a positive cultural image.

“With less than 2% of the more than 670 character backpacks out there including children of color, Blended Designs creates a line of backpacks that fills that void,” Johnson cited from a 2018 Forbes article.

Blended Designs is an African American-owned company that produces the backpacks out of Jacksonville, Fla., organizers said.

Read the full story here. 

Each year Blended Designs partners with several organizations and donates backpacks to them so they can give backpacks to kids in the community. One of this year’s partners was the Southeastern Region of Jack and Jill for America, Inc.

Jack and Jill of America, Inc., is a membership organization of mothers with children ages 2 – 19, dedicated to nurturing future African American leaders by strengthening children through leadership development, volunteer service, philanthropic giving and civic duty.

They stuffed hundreds of backpacks with school supplies for a community service event in the Miami Dade area.

Applications to become a recipient of donated backpacks from Blended Designs are available each October for the following year.