Program helps homeless children get new back-to-school clothes and backpacks

MIDVALE — Julian Almanza grinned as he unzipped his Darth Vader backpack and eagerly began sorting through the items inside.

"Mom, look! Look at this! Church shoes," the 6-year-old exclaimed, pulling shiny black dress shoes from the bottom of the backpack.

Julian's parents, Jose and Candice Almanza, smiled and cheered as they watched their son slip the shoes on his feet.

"It’s a blessing," Jose Almanza said. "When we’re trying to make ends meet and when they do this for us, it’s awesome."

The Almanzas are among more than 100 homeless families who live at the Road Home in Midvale, Utah's largest family homeless shelter. On Thursday, the shelter distributed new backpacks and back-to-school clothing to 150 homeless children who start school in the next few weeks.

"I often tell people the hallways of the shelter become a fashion runway the week we go back to school because all the kids are modeling their new outfits and their new shoes, showing off to each other," said Celeste Eggert, director of development at Road Home.

About 200 kids — ranging from newborns to teenagers — live with their families at the shelter, Eggert estimated.

Every child at the shelter going to school this year was given a new backpack with a back-to-school outfit inside: a shirt, a pair of pants, socks, underwear, a pair of tennis shoes and a pair of dress shoes.

"As simple as it seems — new clothing — it really has a profound effect on our kids. It really gets them excited," Eggert said.

Dakota McCowen, 3, couldn't take her eyes off the brightly colored backpack she was given.

"It's the flower one right there," she said, running to point out her backpack among the dozens of bags being distributed on the sheltered rooftop of the Road Home.

Dakota's older brother, 5-year-old Daniel McCowen, said he was given a Star Wars backpack with "cool shoes and underwear and other stuff."

"It helps a lot," said their father, Jason McCowen. "It gets them into school, and this way they’re not feeling like they're going without stuff. They deserve it."

Overall homelessness increased in Utah by 7 percent between 2014 and 2015, according to the statewide Homeless Management Information System. Families made up most of the increase, growing by 17 percent.

"There’s nothing easy about being homeless and being a kid," Eggert said.

Demand for space at the shelter continues to grow every year, she said, and the average length of stay is 52 days.

"Our goal is to get these families out of shelter as quickly as possible and get them out into housing back in the community," Eggert said.

Road Home collected the back-to-school items through the shelter's 12th annual Apple Tree program, a four-week collection drive similar to holiday Angel Tree drives.

Trees were set up during July and early August at various businesses around the Wasatch Front, including Payless ShoeSource, Old Navy and Intrepid. Participants purchased back-to-school items after picking paper apples from the tree that listed children's needs and sizes.

"The need for back-to-school items has never been greater," said Chris Thomas, president of Intrepid and organizer of the campaign. "We are overwhelmed at the generosity of the community and our partners in fulfilling these deserving children's back-to-school needs."

Grace McCardell, 6, immediately exchanged her flip-flops for new pink tennis shoes when she received her backpack of supplies. Grace smiled as she ran in the new shoes across the rooftop of the Road Home.

"She starts on Tuesday, and I didn’t get a backpack or anything yet," said Grace's mother, Jessica Lee. "I think it’s really awesome. I’m glad I was actually here when it came."

Road Home also delivered backpacks to children living with families at the shelter's temporary housing and at the downtown shelter in Salt Lake City.

"It means so much to them to have something new," Eggert said. "These kids haven’t had something new in a long time."

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