Backpacks and happy days

By Sharon Adams

Rainbow Days hosted its 31st annual Back-to-School Celebration on Wednesday.

Chaired by Carol Welwood and Honorary Chair Josh Howard, retired NBA All-Star in partnership with CAPTRUST, Title Sponsor, Lone Star Monarchs and numerous individual and corporate donors, Rainbow Days’ 31st Annual Back-to-School Celebration provided new backpacks, school supplies and uniforms to more than 1,300 homeless and at-risk children living in poverty in the Dallas community. Children and youth who reside in one of 30 different local motels, transitional living sites and homeless and domestic violence shelters benefited from the supplies. 

Each August, Rainbow Days hosts a private event for homeless and at-risk children and youth at the Dallas Market Center so they can celebrate going back to school with bounce houses, carnival games and delicious refreshments. In addition to meeting homeless children’s tangible needs, the Back-to-School Celebration evokes excitement and builds confidence as each child leaves the event with a new backpack filled with school supplies and a new uniform. The community can help with donations by visiting rainbowdays.org/backtoschooldonation.

“Children and youth who are experiencing housing insecurity, poverty or homelessness face tremendous adversity and a host of challenges which affect their academic success,” shares Rainbow Days’ CEO Tiffany Beaudine. “Rainbow Days meets the needs of these vulnerable children by providing year-round social and emotional support group services and tangible items. By providing each child with the supplies they need for the new school year through this event, we are not just meeting a basic need, but we are sending them a positive message. The message that education is important, someone cares about you, and we believe that you can succeed in school.”  

It takes a village to host this event each year. Rainbow Days recognizes the generosity of its financial and in-kind donors as well as more than 400 volunteers who helped make this event and entire project possible. 

The Back-to-School Celebration is a program of Rainbow Days Inc, a 501(c)(3) Dallas-based nonprofit organization. Founded in 1982, Rainbow Days has a mission to help children and youth in adversity build coping skills and resilience to create positive futures. Through social-emotional learning (SEL) support groups, presentations, camps, mentored events and tangible items, Rainbow Days serves more than 9,000 at-risk children and youth in the Dallas area annually. For more information about the Back-to-School Celebration or Rainbow Days, please visit www.RainbowDays.org or call (214) 887-0726.