Three Deliveries, Three Communities: September's School Site Gifts

A new school year brings a wave of generosity from San Francisco's business and nonprofit community. This month, three very different partners showed up at three very different schools — each gift shaped around what that specific school actually asked for.

Want to bring a drive, a grant, or a gift to a school near you? Start a conversation with Spark today.

Rosa Parks Elementary: Supplies and STEAM Kits from HDR Architects

The San Francisco office of HDR Architects came to Spark with a simple question: what do students actually need? Over the course of August, HDR staff ran a supply drive, then delivered both everyday school supplies and special kits built for Rosa Parks' STEAM program.

"We always tell our students that the community cares about them and that everyone believes in them and that they can succeed, and we see them as brilliant makers." — Laura Schmidt-Nojima, Principal, Rosa Parks Elementary School

"These STEAM kits will help support our community of makers by providing them with the materials they need to continue creating and innovating at home." — Nancy Yamamoto, STEAM Teacher & Coordinator, Rosa Parks Elementary School

Dr. Charles R. Drew College Prep Academy: Crunchyroll's First Gift Through Spark

Crunchyroll's first gift through Spark arrived at Dr. Charles R. Drew College Prep Academy last month — backpacks, notebooks, pencils, and glue sticks, essential tools for every day at an elementary school. Drew enrolls roughly 160 students, and at a school this size, a delivery like this reaches nearly every classroom.

"This donation is so needed, and it's going straight into the right hands. Thank you, Crunchyroll — this shapes our students' whole school year." — Nachelle Thomas, Principal, Dr. Charles R. Drew College Prep Academy

"They need backpacks, they need supplies, they need the smallest things — glue sticks, you know? It's so appreciated." — Wendy Butler, Parent Advocate

SFUSD Enrollment Center: 100 Backpacks from Khalsa Aid USA

At the SFUSD Enrollment Center, families arriving to enroll their children now leave with something extra: a filled backpack, courtesy of Khalsa Aid USA. The humanitarian nonprofit donated 100 backpacks — 50 sized for elementary students, 50 for middle and high schoolers — timed to reach families throughout September's enrollment season.

It's the kind of in-kind support Spark helps steward on behalf of the district: not a single event, but a resource in place for as long as families keep walking through the door.