Amazon provides backpacks, groceries to district families

Back-to-School relief: Amazon steps in to give backpacks, groceries to families after district sees donations and funding lagging

Families in Adams 12 Five Star Schools received a surprise delivery of new backpacks stocked with supplies and fresh groceries from Amazon after vans dropped off the donations to help fill the gap of lagging funds and growing needs.

Amazon’s Fresh grocery store in Denver assembled and loaded 250 backpacks with school supplies plus bags of groceries to Adams 12 that were quickly distributed by a group of family outreach liaisons directly to families’ homes. Adams 12 Five Star Schools Superintendent Chris Gdowski and Northglenn Mayor Meredith Leighty attended a check presentation ceremony and distribution event on Friday, Aug. 13 to thank Amazon and receive an additional $20,000 donation to help ease food insecurity and other school supply needs. 

"We know for students to thrive academically and socially, they need their basic needs met first," Superintendent Chris Gdowski said. "We're thankful to our community partners like Amazon for help in filling that gap."

The surprise relief comes at a critical moment when students are returning for the first week and where school officials reported a lack of supplies and ongoing needs from their families.

“These backpacks aren't only filled with supplies – they're filled with possibility,” said Leona Jones, Amazon’s human resources business partner at its Denver Fresh grocery store. “Every pencil and notebook represents one less barrier to learning for a child who deserves every opportunity to succeed. At Amazon, being a good employer and a good neighbor go hand-in-hand. Many Amazon employees live right here in Adams County. They're your neighbors, friends at the grocery store, and parents at school events. That's why we're here today – not just as Amazon, but as community members who care about the future of these students.”

Amazon fresh store employees, delivery drivers, and district staff all gathered for the ceremony at the district's Student & Family Resource Center in Northglenn before delivering directly to homes.

Adams 12 family outreach liaisons brought the in-kind donations and groceries to families with children attending Title 1 schools, where at least 40 percent of children are from low-income families, rely on free and reduced-price lunch and receive funding to help children improve academic achievement. 

The Amazon Fresh grocery store located at 480 E 55th Ave. Suite 100 in Denver regularly donates fresh food and shelf-stable items to area food banks and schools as part of Amazon's commitment to the communities where its employees live and work. Amazon’s largest site in the Denver metro area is at 14601 Grant St., Thornton, CO 80023.