The link Teen Club capped off their summer with a heartwarming back-to-school supply drive, benefiting local students in need as they prepare for the 2024-25 school year. In partnership with the Historic Eastside Community Development Corporation (HECDC), the Teen Club assembled and donated essential school supplies to support 100 students. They also supported 50 additional students via St. Johns County nonprofit, Investing in Kids (INK!). These donations were made possible thanks to the generous contributions from Sapna Foundation and the link.
The donated supplies included new backpacks, highlighters, spiral notebooks, composition notebooks, crayons, pencil cases, tissues and a variety of other classroom necessities.
The link Teen Club proudly handed over 100 fully-packed backpacks to Suzanne Pickett, president of the HECDC, during the Teen Club weekly meetup.
“Our role is to act as a resource and liaison for the community,” said Pickett. “Right now it's back to school, so we are very excited to be able to provide these backpacks. Thank you so much to [Sapna Foundation]. We are able to provide these school supplies and backpacks to families who are not able to get adequate school supplies.”
They delivered 50 additional backpacks and supplies to Cathy Newman, executive director of INK! St. Johns.
“Thank you to [the link] for collecting all of these supplies for the students at St. John’s Tech High School,” said Newman. “I know that the teachers and administration at the school would really appreciate all of this. They have such great ideas and strategies to help their students excel this year. The backpacks and supplies will help them put their students on the right path to success.”
The link Teen Club, established in October 2023 under the leadership of Jeff Tawney, director of operations at the link, has been actively engaged in community service since its inception. Their commitment to charitable work continues to grow, with no signs of slowing down anytime soon.
For those interested in joining the link Teen Club and making a difference in the community, contact Tawney at Jeff@thelink.zone.
