First Impression Ironworks is out in the community again! This time, we’ve partnered with Backpacks 4 Kids AZ helping to donate supplies for the upcoming school year for kids throughout the Valley.

A little background on Backpacks 4 Kids AZ:

Kaitlyn Martinez, now in college, was a 14-year-old student at the Phoenix Coding Academy when she saw one of her classmates fail a writing assignment because she didn’t have school supplies. That’s when she decided to take action! At the time, she was only a sophomore at the Phoenix Coding Academy, but Martinez saw an opportunity to help a classmate get the materials she needed to succeed in school. Kaitlyn didn’t stop there.

“We ended up doing backpack supplies for the whole school, with my old school, and then it kind of just went from there,” Martinez said.

Since then, Kaitlyn has started Backpacks 4 Kids AZ, a 501 C 3 organization that gives an average of 3,500 backpacks a year containing school supplies and Love Bundles (bags for kids entering foster homes, shelters or who are homeless).

Here are all the programs available through Backpacks 4 Kids AZ:

• Food Pantry – Backpacks 4 Kids AZ offers weekend food boxes and hygiene to low-income children and their families through donations from individuals, organizations, corporations, churches and food banks.
• Kids Clothing Closet – Their Kids Clothing Closet gives low-income children the ability to pick and choose the clothing and basic necessities they need and are proud to wear. They are currently accepting donations of new underwear, socks, shoes and both new and gently used clothing for kids 0-18
• School Supplies – Backpacks 4 Kids AZ mission is to ensure that every child is prepared to learn and succeed in the classroom by providing free school supplies to students most in need.
• Love Bundles – Backpacks 4 Kids AZ provides “Love Bundles” to children who have been displaced due to neglect, abuse, abandonment. They give these bags to shelters, resource centers, foster parent agencies, and schools. Bags may also go to families with very limited resources. Through donations, Backpacks 4 Kids AZ is able to support the mental wellbeing and comfort of children during a stressful time in their lives.
• Christmas Gifts – With the help of community partners, they also provide Christmas gifts to low-income families and foster children

Are you as inspired by this local teen as we were? Here’s how you can get involved:

• Make a Donation
• Partner with Backpacks 4 Kids AZ
• Volunteer Your Time
• Back to School Drive
• Host a Supply Drive
• Stock the Shelves