Back-to-School Shopping Event Benefits 400 Children in Foster Care in Miami-Dade County
On August 2, 2023, Voices for Children Foundation, Inc. and the Nomi Health Charitable Foundation hosted a back-to-school shopping event for 400 children in Miami-Dade County’s foster care system. The Old Navy at the Shoppes at Dadeland closed its doors for the special event, where children and their caregivers received $400 in school supplies, clothing, shoes, and additional gift cards ahead of the 2023-2024 school year, with Nomi’s donation totaling $100,000.
The event helps ease the financial burdens many caregivers of children in foster care experience as children head back to the classroom. Back-to-school spending for K-12 students is expected to average nearly $600 per student this year. A new report found that 55% of parents find back-to-school shopping more stressful than holiday shopping.
Many of the approximately 1,600 children in foster care in Miami-Dade County need school essentials like backpacks, lunch boxes, clothing, and shoes.
“The back-to-school season is an exciting time for many children, but for children in foster care and their caregivers, the new school year often brings financial stress,” said Kadie Black, President and CEO of Voices for Children in Miami. “As children in foster care often move to new placements, many will also be starting a new school, which can bring heightened feelings of uncertainty. Children in foster care deserve the opportunity to have the supplies and clothing they need so they can focus on what matters: learning and being a kid.”
“Every child, no matter their background or situation at home, deserves to return to school with the essentials they need to be successful,” said Rebecca Armstrong Langle, Director of Social Impact at Nomi Health. “Nomi Health is proud to partner with Voices for Children as part of our commitment to support underserved communities because we know investing in education is one of the most important factors that influence a person’s long-term health and well-being.”
Nomi Health has partnered with Voices for Children for two consecutive years for the annual back-to-school event.
Nomi Health has been serving the community of Miami-Dade County by providing free COVID-19 testing and vaccination services at more than a dozen sites across the county. Earlier this year, Nomi partnered with Miami-Dade Fire Rescue to create a communitywide vaccination campaign by launching mobile units to deliver vaccines by knocking on approximately 200,000 doors in under-vaccinated neighborhoods. These efforts contributed to Miami-Dade County vaccinating over 2 million residents, over 70 percent of the population.
The Nomi Health Charitable Foundation also has a partnership with Miami Dade College in Florida to support students and young professionals pursuing careers in healthcare.
