CHARLOTTE, N.C. — From the outside looking in, it looked like your typical back to school event.
On a hot day in late July at the Wendover Walk Apartments in Charlotte, families were given free backpacks, food, and school supplies.
However, Elizabeth Cooper, Head of Social Impact and Corporate Giving at Charlotte-based financial services company Barings, said the event was much more than a typical back-to-school bash.
“This is our 13th one that we’ve done since 2021," she said. "Just coming into the community, I think it’s something so important for us because it allows us to be present, it allows our volunteers to be present."
According to Cooper, 91% of kids living in poverty in Charlotte show up to the first day of school without the essentials they need.
“I think when a child or anyone shows up unprepared for something, whether it’s the first day of school or the first day of work, you lose confidence in yourself,” she said.
This event was one of Barings' Social Impact events. It's part of the company's economic equity initiative, which supports 1,300 children in 10 affordable housing communities across Charlotte. The company is partnering with non-profits like Classroom Central to make this possible.
“They are going to be getting a fully stocked backpack with everything they need to get started for the school year. We also have some amazing flash cards for the younger kids,” said Emily Cook with Classroom Central. “We are trying to take that burden off of parents.”
They also are partnering with Promising Pages, which built a reading resource center inside the leasing office at Wendover Walk.
“We do distributions throughout the year. We also leave a reading resource center here so kids of all ages -- even adults -- have access to free books. We want them to take the books,” said Kelly Cates, Executive Director at Promising Pages.
The overall goal is to make sure families have what they need.
“The kids need it, and a lot of parents don’t have a lot of things for back to school so, I’m happy they are out here doing this for the children,” said Evelyn Rogers-Dawson, a Wendover Walk resident.
On top of this initiative, Barings has also committed to giving 1,600 laptops and digital literacy training to families living in Charlotte’s affordable housing communities.
“It’s not just 'here’s x amount of dollars and we’ll see you in three years when you need more funding'. We feel that the best partnerships and impact that is made in a community is built on a foundational relationship,” Cooper explained.
Over the past few years, Barings says it has committed over $175 million towards developing and preserving affordable housing in Charlotte.
Contact Nick Sturdivant at nsturdiva1@wcnc.com and follow him on Facebook, X and Instagram.