Thousands of children start School without the proper supplies each year. This is too often because school supplies can be so expensive, and some families may have a difficult time providing everything they need at the beginning of the year. This is why fundraising events for schools are so important to the development of our communities. They give children a chance to succeed, who may not have the opportunity otherwise.

An overwhelming amount of our employees, at Safe Home Safe, wanted to do something that would benefit the children of our local community. With Arlington Elementary School being just minutes from our corporate headquarters, they were a perfect fit. Safe Home Safe’s Marketing Research and Development Coordinator, Cindy Miranda, reached out to Arlington Elementary School Principal, Michelle David, about coming up with some ideas on what we could do to help, and so the Backpack Initiative was created.

Recognized by Mission 500 with the Corporate Social Responsibility Award, Safe Home Safe security has always demonstrated a care for the children of our local communities, working with programs like Books Are Wings and Adopt-A-Family. This is why Mission 500, a non-profit organization committed to helping children in communities across the world, meshed so well with our SafeHomeCARES team.

SafeHomeCARES is derived from a passionate group of individuals who share the same mission – people are always worth protecting. As a security company, protection is not limited to home security, but instead overall peace of mind in your life. In this case, SafeHomeCARES teamed up with Mission 500, Alarm.com, and W.B. Mason to help students of Arlington Elementary School get ready for the new school year, providing them with the tools they needed to learn and grow; and giving their parents one less thing to worry about when school shopping.

The event took place at Arlington Elementary School’s Back to School event on August 31st, which was the day before the first day of school. It was a huge turnout. Our SafeHomeCARES team was excited at the opportunity to bond with some of the Cranston area families as many of our employees are from the area as well. Our team also included assistance from our partners Mission 500, Alarm.com, W.B. Mason, as well as help from the public.

In a just few hours, we were able to provide over 200 backpacks, filled with school supplies, so that all the students would be prepared for school the following day. Also, as a lot of the staff purchase their teaching materials themselves, we provided them with some classroom supplies as well. The looks on the parents’ faces as their children put on the backpacks and ran around, were as rewarding as the backpacks themselves. Being able to provide a different form of peace of mind, the type of peace of mind where parents know that their children are given the opportunity to learn, let our SafeHomeCARES team know that the event was a true success.

As far as the response from Arlington Middle School goes, Principal Michelle Davis showed she was touched by the outcome of the event, because it is one less thing that her students and their parents would have to worry about, “When children feel safe they feel confident, and when children feel confident, they can learn.”

Overall, the Backpack Initiative was a success, and right on par with our SafeHomeCARES mission. It showed that peace of mind means more than protection from break ins, but peace of mind in your schools and communities as well. Check out the video from the event to get a better look at what we accomplished with the Backpack Initiative.

A special thank you to our partners. This would all have been impossible without the help of Alarm.com, Mission 500, W.B. Mason, and Arlington Middle School.

We look forward to keeping you updated with many more SafeHomeCARES endeavors. Until then, be safe.