A Huge “Thank You” To Our Backpack Volunteers

33,000 backpacks are stuffed with school supplies and ready for Detroit students.

Standing at the top of this mountain of backpacks was a truly overwhelming experience. Each one of these colorful bags represents a child in kindergarten, elementary school or middle school, who will pull out the notebooks, the folders, pencils, crayons, glue sticks and more and go to work – learning, creating, and acquiring the basic building blocks of education all of us need to succeed. No matter who you are or what you do, this is how all of us got started. And these backpacks level the playing field.

All weekend long, volunteers worked hard stuffing the backpacks with school supplies in a storage room at the Meijer in Livonia. More than 250 people came together including Detroit Public Schools teachers and students, members of our law firm and their families and friends, Meijer employees, people who saw or heard about the project on the news and just wanted to help, and even two of my school-aged daughters. We formed an assembly line, and one by one, we filled 33,000 backpacks together. It took three long days (August 12-14), but we got the job done. Next, the backpacks will be loaded onto 14 trucks and delivered to our public schools in Detroit. We can’t wait to hand them out during the first week of school in September!

Driven by the desire to help

I want to personally thank each and every person who took the time out to help. As lawyers, we are driven by the desire to help others. We want to make a positive difference. We believe in fairness and justice and we are privileged to have the opportunity to help change lives. That’s the beauty of Project Backpack Detroit.

Detroit Public Schools teachers and administrators tell us that before this project, a staggering number of students – roughly 95 percent – came to school without the basic tools and supplies needed to start the school year. Hearing that made me sad and it made me want to take action. This is our firm’s way of giving back. Now, every child in every DPS school, grades K-8, will have the same fresh start. Every child will experience that sense of excitement that comes with getting something new. Every child will get the message the community cares and wants them to succeed.

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A Great Need

We know the need is great. Not just in Detroit – but, in cities and school districts across Michigan. Our goal is to continue to expand this project until every child in need in our state has a brand new backpack and school supplies to start the year. Many people have reached out and asked how they can help. 100% of the money donated will be used to purchase more supplies and backpacks for students who have not yet received one.

On behalf of all of us at the Mike Morse Law Firm, thank you for your interest in and support of this project. Our children are our future. That future is fueled by the power of education. When our children win, we all win.

Wishing everyone a safe and successful school year!