Employees make a positive difference in Operation Backpack drive to help children
By Carolyn Ramirez
Staff donated more than 500 brand new backpacks and school supplies to kids in the Sacramento area
(SACRAMENTO)
When summertime ends, most kids experience a bittersweet feeling: Goodbye vacations and pool time, hello to a new school year and catching up with old classmates.
Weeks before school begins, families head to the shopping malls and supermarkets to purchase new supplies.
Do you remember those days as a kid?
Maybe you got an outfit, new sneakers, or a brand-new backpack with colorful pens, pencils, and folders to match. Just like adults starting a new job, kids often want to make a good impression on their first day back at school.
Not all kids have this seemingly customary privilege, however.
As long-standing participants of the annual Volunteers of America’s Operation (VOA) Backpack Drive, UC Davis Health employees Lisa Eller and Marlene Armstead Ambler recognize that not every kid gets to buy new items for school. That’s why these inpatient unit directors were determined to secure at least 500 backpacks filled to the nines with cool pencils, paper, binders, and more, for families that couldn’t afford them.
Armstead Ambler said, “We wanted to secure as many backpacks as possible for various reasons. For instance, many refugee families have recently come to live in the Sacramento community, and we recognize that coming to a new country can be financially and emotionally difficult. The VOA drive serves not only the Sacramento area but also northern Nevada. So, that's also why we set the goal slightly higher this year than last year.”
Historically, UC Davis Health staff have participated in Operation Backpack since 2009. Angie Marin, a former employee at the health system, coordinated the drive until she retired in 2022. This was Eller and Armstead Ambler’s first year managing the campaign. Though nervous and unsure about what to expect, they were excited to take on the mighty task.
“We wanted to make Angie proud,” Armstead Ambler said.
Eller joyfully stated, “Not knowing how to navigate this project, I feel we all did phenomenally well this year. We knocked it out of the park, surpassed our goal of 500, and donated 568 backpacks to VOA. How cool is that?”
UC Davis Health employees proudly displaying their donated backpacks
The inpatient unit directors got the word out about the campaign via team huddles, posting flyers, leaving notes on the whiteboard, intranet publications, and seeking a couple of unofficial Operation Backpack ambassadors. Key among them was Larry Espinosa from EVS, the first to donate money to the drive.
“Espinosa really brought Operation Backpack here to life,” Armstead Ambler remarked. “I mean, he said something positive about it every day at work. He also suggested leaving a little note inside each backpack so that the kids knew we cared about them.”
What did the message say? “Packed with Love by UC Davis Health staff.”
Eller smiled, “The o in ‘love’ was made into a heart for an extra special touch.”
Victoria Monroe, development officer of Volunteers of America in Northern California and Northern Nevada, raved about the health system staff’s generosity and support.
“UC Davis Health has been an incredible partner of VOA's Operation Backpack over the last several years,” Monroe emphasized. “They have ensured thousands of local students in need return to school with a brand new, quality backpack filled with all the necessary grade-appropriate supplies. In 2023, they beat a personal record by donating more than 550 backpacks. UC Davis Health’s commitment to our kids highlights the importance of investing in our children’s education and stepping in as ‘the village’ for a struggling family to make ends meet.”
Group of UC Davis Health employees donning the backpacks donated to the VOA drive
Eller and Armstead Ambler cherish the overarching experience. From hosting packing parties with staff – who came into work on their day off and volunteered time to sort through and stuff backpacks – to shopping at supermarkets for backpacks and school supplies with the monetary donations from employees, the campaign brought great joy to the people involved.
“There are too many folks and departments to thank that contributed to this year’s backpack drive,” said Eller. “I hope everyone who participated and supported us throughout the experience knows how much we appreciate them. It was such a beautiful and heartwarming UC Davis Health community effort.”
The two are already planning ideas for the 2024 drive. Next year’s goal? 1,000 backpacks!
“We want to form a committee and start planning sooner, maybe closer to April 2024,” said Armstead Ambler.
If you want to support the drive next year, please contact Armstead Ambler and Eller at 916-734-2864.
