Davidson Realty, Inc.

Sponsor a Child, Fill a Backpack: Making a meaningful difference in the lives of local students

August 7, 2023

 | 
Posted by in Community Involvement, News, St. Johns County schools

Summer is coming to a close, and with it parents are preparing for another school year. It’s estimated that back-to-school supplies will cost $597 for the average student, according to Deloitte. Knowing there are so many families in need, three Davidson Realty agents hosted a community-led drive to gather supplies and sponsor local students.

 

Mirtha Barzaga, Liz Pappaceno and Reba Barkley initiated the massive effort by calling St. Johns County Schools to see how they could help. They coordinated with guidance counselors from Mill Creek Academy, Wards Creek Elementary, Crookshank Elementary, Palm Valley Academy and Valley Ridge Academy who provided lists of supplies as well as the grades and sexes of children who would benefit from the drive.

 

Barkley, a former elementary school principal, knows first-hand how important it is for students to have the supplies they need. “Supplies equip students with tools for learning,” she shared. “I want to do my part to contribute to the academic success of our local students, and with Davidson Realty, we believe in investing in the future of the next generation.”

 

The agents called on the local community to sponsor a child, donate supplies or donate money for the team to shop for items. On July 19th, they invited donors to an open house to drop off their backpacks and donations and to enjoy libations and hors d’oeuvres as a way of saying thank you. “The book bags have not only the supply list provided by the school, but a lunch box, water bottle, basic toiletries and fun stuff,” Barzaga shared, who has hosted similar supply donation drives in the past. “One of my customers brought in a book bag and was so impressed with the display of them, that as he was walking out he handed me an extra $100 to sponsor another child!”

 

       

 

Support from the community was overflowing, and the agents surpassed their goal of 75 filled backpacks. “We are putting together more bags now and think we will have 100 in total,” Barzaga said. “I have always been a firm believer in the power of giving back, especially to the community you live in. There is nothing more rewarding to me than giving.” Thanks to the generous giving of our community, and to our agents, local students will have what they need to start the year off right.

, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
(0) Comments
  • Print
  • Digg
  • Sphinn
  • del.icio.us
  • Facebook
  • Mixx
  • Google Bookmarks
  • email
  • LinkedIn
  • StumbleUpon
  • Twitter
  • Yahoo! Bookmarks
  • Yahoo! Buzz
About the Author
Sherry Davidson
President of Davidson Realty

Since launching Davidson Realty in 1989, Sherry Davidson has built the firm to include nearly 60 agents and exceed $100 million in annual sales. She is known throughout the First Coast as an authority on all things residential real estate, having served on the Board of Directors for Northeast Florida Association of Realtors, Florida Realtors® (a division of the National Association of Realtors), and Builders Care (charitable arm of Northeast Florida Builders Association).

Thanks to Sherry’s leadership, Davidson Realty has been recognized as one of the state’s Best Companies to Work For (Florida Trend Magazine), as well as one of the region's Best Places to Work and 50 Fastest Growing Companies (Jacksonville Business Journal). Get to know Davidson Realty’s talented team of agents by clicking here or call us at (904) 940-5000.

Comments are closed.

Davidson Realty