Boston Community Pediatrics Gives Out Free Backpacks Filled with Supplies to Hundreds of Students

Boston Community Pediatrics (BCP), the first nonprofit private pediatric practice of its kind in Massachusetts with a mission to provide income and racial equity to pediatric healthcare regardless of a family's ability to pay, hosted its annual Back-to-School Event on Aug. 27 at The BASE in Roxbury. A pillar of the community, BCP organizes this activity-packed event each year to help students get excited to head back into the classroom while helping patients and their families alleviate the financial stress associated with buying school supplies for the upcoming year.

This year's BCP Back to School Event made a significant impact, with fun activities, games, free pizza from Sal's along with free ice cream from Ben and Jerry's, and more. Each BCP patient received a new backpack filled with school supplies, a personal hygiene kit, a $25 Target gift card for back-to-school shopping, a bag of fresh fruits and vegetables, and a bag of non-perishable items to take home. The BCP office and staff distributed 320 backpacks at the event and have already started handing out additional backpacks to families who could not attend and will continue to do so in the following weeks, bringing the total number of children assisted to over 400.

New England Revolution players Brandon Bye, Tomás Chancalay, and Andrew Farrell also made special appearances. Patients and their families had an opportunity to play soccer with the professionals, who talked to children about the importance of staying active day-to-day and focusing on their education.

Jasmine Tinker, a mother of eight who attended the event, has visited the practice since it opened in 2020. "During the COVID-19 pandemic, there was a time when I had no one to help me; I couldn't go to the store because I couldn't take my children, and the office bought groceries for my family and delivered them to our door," she said. "The BCP office has been nothing but a blessing for me. I didn't always feel I had the support system I needed, but now I have that in my children's doctor's office. They are truly like a family to me."

City Councilor John Fitzgerald was also in attendance handing out backpacks to kids as well as Sarah Sharpe, South End/Bay Village Liaison from the Mayor's Office of Neighborhood Services, who helped make sure each family got a bag of produce and a bag of shelf stable food.

Patients and families gathered for an unforgettable event filled with activities and generous contributions from various organizations. The practice expressed deep gratitude to The BASE for their partnership and for allowing the BCP to use their space for the second consecutive year. Children participated in sports and games, thanks to Romel from Canadian Parks, who led an engaging and fun boot camp class. Franklin Sports donated 50 soccer balls, 75 baseballs, and 36 basketballs, enhancing the experience for all. These items were then given to patients to help them stay healthy at home.

The event featured a lively DJ, a photo booth, games, activities, a pitching station, and a soccer station, all designed to create lasting memories. Thanks to the support of our partners—including Plymouth Rock Assurance Foundation, Audax Group, Bain Capital, and Dick's Sporting Goods of Natick—BCP was able to provide amazing backpacks filled with school supplies. Each backpack also included a hygiene kit gift provided by Hope and Comfort.

Families also took home bags of fresh fruits and vegetables and non-perishable goods provided by the YMCA/Greater Boston Food Bank. Finally, BCP would like to acknowledge NCL Wellesley, all the volunteers, and the dedicated BCP staff and interns for their unwavering commitment and hard work.

The full list of contributors is as follows:

All the BCP staff and interns