RIVERSIDE, Calif. — July 2024 Kaiser Permanente Riverside employees, physicians, volunteers, and contracted partners collected nearly 2,000 backpacks filled with school supplies during the 2024 Back to School Drive. The donated items will benefit local students in need, primarily foster and homeless youth, in Riverside County. This is the most backpacks Kaiser Permanente Riverside has collected since the drive’s inception in 2008.
Riverside County Office of Education (RCOE) and Coachella Valley Rescue Mission received the backpacks and supplies and were overwhelmed with the kindness and generosity displayed by Kaiser Permanente donors. Backpacks will be distributed by RCOE and Coachella Valley Rescue Mission on July 30, August 3, and August 14 at various events.
“It’s an honor to partner with Kaiser Permanente Riverside, these backpacks will be a wonderful resource and blessing to all of our students.”
Edwin Gomez, Ed.D., Riverside County Superintendent of Schools
“Every summer for 16 consecutive years, our physicians, nurses, staff and labor partners have come together to collect backpacks. Each year, the number of backpacks collected continues to grow because of the compassionate individuals on our teams who have become dedicated to making sure the children in our communities go back to school with the supplies they need for the school year. We hope that these supplies will play a small part in their academic success and that some of them will become the health care professionals of tomorrow.”
Dr. Michael A. Neri, Jr., Kaiser Permanente Riverside Area Medical Director
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About Kaiser Permanente
Kaiser Permanente is committed to helping shape the future of health care. We are recognized as one of America's leading health care providers and not-for-profit health plans. Founded in 1945, Kaiser Permanente has a mission to provide high-quality, affordable health care services and to improve the health of our members and the communities we serve. We currently serve 12.7 million members in 8 states and the District of Columbia. Care for members and patients is focused on their total health and guided by their personal Permanente Medical Group physicians, specialists, and team of caregivers. Our expert and caring medical teams are empowered and supported by industry-leading technology advances and tools for health promotion, disease prevention, state-of-the-art care delivery and world-class chronic disease management. Kaiser Permanente is dedicated to care innovations, clinical research, health education and the support of community health.