With cheers, applause, music and even a little dancing, several schools within the Diocese of Gary school system showed their enthusiasm for being selected to receive school supplies on May 19 and 21 from Enchanted Backpack, partnering with Big Shoulders Fund Northwest Indiana.
Students and staff from St. Casimir School in Hammond and St. Stanislaus School in East Chicago each gathered outside their school, waving signs of gratitude as they celebrated the arrival of several Enchanted Backpack trucks. The vehicles carried winter jackets, notebooks, folders, binders, pencils, pens, crayons, markers, glue sticks, tissues, cleaning and hygiene products, classroom organizational materials, and more that would be distributed later among classes.
Enchanted Backpack is a charitable organization serving under-resourced elementary and middle schools in Northern Illinois and Northwest Indiana. Big Shoulders Fund was first connected with Enchanted Backpack through its founder, Carol Lavin Bernick, when the organization launched in 2017. Bernick has been a supporter of Big Shoulders Fund since 2011 through in-kind donations, event sponsorships, scholarships and other acts of generosity in support of Catholic education and families in need.
Enchanted Backpack’s mission aligns very closely with Big Shoulders Fund’s work, particularly in supporting schools serving high-poverty communities. Their organization supports schools with at least 50 percent poverty, and over the years, they have distributed supplies to nearly all qualifying Big Shoulders Fund schools throughout both the Chicago area and Northwest Indiana.
Dan Kozlowski, executive director of Big Shoulders Fund Northwest Indiana, said the donations send a powerful message to students and families that there are people and organizations who believe in them and are willing to invest in their success. He added Big Shoulders is deeply grateful to Enchanted Backpack, Carol Bernick, and everyone involved for their generosity and commitment to helping students thrive.
“It is incredibly meaningful and inspiring to be part of partnerships like this,” Kozlowski said. “At Big Shoulders Fund, we know that strong school communities are built not only through academics, but also by making sure students and families feel supported, valued, and cared for. Donations like this help alleviate financial burdens for families and allow schools to direct more resources toward student learning and enrichment opportunities.”
Making the deliveries with members of the Enchanted Backpack and Big Shoulders Fund teams was donor Rich Paulson, of Chicago. He shared that he loves having the opportunity to help students. He enjoys talking with them, encouraging them to continue learning and continuing their education.
“It's really a blessing our kids deserve,” Paulson said. “They should have everything that they need in order to be successful.”
Teacher Nancy Serrano said it was a blessing to be chosen to receive the assistance. She believes what makes the Hammond school special is its amazing teachers. An educator for more than 30 years, Serrano shared that it is moments like this one that keep her going.
“To have these kids excited… What else can you ask for?” she said. “God’s on our side.”
Mia Villalovos said it was really nice that they were able to help the school community, and she enjoyed that the activity brought everyone together. Her daughter, Ivana Lopez, is a fifth grader at St. Casimir.
Villalovos likes St. Casimir School because it's “a knitted family.” She also touted the staff as amazing, and said they take the time to get to know the students and their parents.
“When my daughter walks into the school, they know her first and last name,” she said. "They get to know the students pretty well.”
Two days later, St. Stanislaus School was also honored to welcome trucks filled with school supplies from Enchanted Backpack.
“I know many of you are already excited about it, but we have two whole truckloads of school supplies for you, and you and you,” said Principal Angelica Foy with enthusiasm, as she pointed around to various students. “We are so grateful to everyone for making this possible.”
Each class approached the trucks in order to say thank you and paused for a quick photo before heading back inside the school. Volunteers then stepped forward to help bring the items inside the school.
Student Elijah Freba helped the principal hype up the students by leading cheers. The seventh grader said the school spirit among the students and staff is one of the things he likes most about his school.
Freba felt very grateful for the donation, noting that the supplies would not only help his fellow classmates, but also the parents of students.
“We are a really strong school, and this is just really great,” he said.
Teacher Ivette Miramontes-Perez called it a very generous act, which means a lot to the school families. She had little doubt that the supplies would be greatly appreciated.
“We’ll take all the help that we can get,” she said. “We're very happy and thankful.”
For more information on Catholic schools within the Diocese of Gary, visit https://dcgary.org/office-catholic-schools. To learn more about Big Shoulders Fund, visit https://bigshouldersfund.org/northwest-indiana, and for more details on Enchanted Backpack, visit https://www.enchantedbackpack.org.
