According to For Oak Cliff Development Associate Cimajie Best,
“For Oak Cliff is proud to announce our 7th annual Back To School Festival on Saturday, August 14.
“In 2014, Taylor Toynes began teaching at Bushman Elementary in his neighborhood of South Oak Cliff. While in the classroom, Taylor saw that a majority of his students did not have school supplies, an issue that Toynes realized stemmed from the community’s extreme poverty. In the summer of 2015, Toynes organized with students, community members, and partner organizations to host the inaugural Back To School Festival, a vessel to equip the community and students with the necessary supplies, resources, and service providers to have a successful school year.
“The For Oak Cliff team knew this festival was not enough to systemically change the livelihood of the individuals in South Oak Cliff, so they worked to launch the For Oak Cliff community campus. In 2019 there were over 6,000 community members in attendance and this year, on the heels of one of the most tumultuous years we’ve seen as a nation we expect an even larger turn out!
“For those individuals who would like to support, here is a link to our Amazon Wish List and here is a link for monetary donation. Donations will be accepted through Sunday, August 1.
“Thank you in advance for partnering with us in this work, we appreciate your commitment and everything you do #ForOakCliff.”
* Photo provided by For Oak Cliff