The Alicia R. Pruitt Foundation is partnering with Southwestern Classical Academy on its first Annual Back to School Drive-Thru event on Thursday, July 30.
Over 200 Southwestern students will have the opportunity to receive free school supplies and other essentials that include bookbags, flash drives, masks, gloves, hand sanitizer, unperishable food for families, and more.
“I grew up in Flint and graduated from Southwestern. As I thought about this event, I always wanted to help the next generation of Southwestern students while making an impact on the community overall,” says BriElle Bryson, founder and executive director of the nonprofit Alicia R. Pruitt Foundation. “Southwestern is one of the only few standing [high schools] in Flint and I know the hardships of growing up with limited resources. Without a doubt, Southwestern was the first school I wanted to partner with for this event. I am a product of this school and I am product of this city. I feel like it’s my duty to reach back and pull forward to those who come after me.”
The drive-through event is only for Southwestern students in an effort to make sure they will be ready to start school, whether remotely or in-person, with the supplies they need. In order to practice social distancing, volunteers will be on-site to assist with the event and place school kits in cars.
The Alicia R. Pruitt Foundation was founded to instill hope and provide support for underserved youth facing trauma through scholarships, sponsorships, and other resources for post-secondary preparation and career readiness. The foundation had already planned to kick off events and activities for youth when the COVID-19 pandemic forced them to put some initiatives on hold. The goal of the drive-through is to fill in the gaps.
“I am extremely passionate about supporting our youth and I am very dedicated to still making an impact this year in addition to our scholarship offerings,” says Bryson, “with all the uncertainty with schools as well as the challenges COVID as had on our families, schools, city, and economy — I felt this event was more vital to our youth than it was before.”
The event takes place from ?1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday, July 30 at Southwestern Classical Academy, 1420 W. 12th St.
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