L.A. Care and Blue Shield Promise to Give Away Nearly 17,000 Backpacks with School Supplies at Back-to-School Resource Fairs Across Los Angeles County

LOS ANGELES, July 13, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- L.A. Care Health Plan and Blue Shield of California Promise Health Plan are distributing 16,500 free backpacks filled with school supplies at 11 of their jointly operated Community Resource Centers located throughout Los Angeles County this summer. The giveaways are part of their annual back-to-school events, taking place from July 14 through August 4.

"With inflation stubbornly high, we know the financial pressure that families confront as they prepare for a new school year. Our goal is to help relieve some of that burden by providing much-needed school supplies," said John Baackes, L.A. Care CEO. "As a health plan, our mandate is to keep families healthy. Often, that means reducing their overall stress levels about finances."

In addition to free school supplies, a wide range of education and social assistance resources from participating community-based organizations will be available to families.

"Supporting a child's education is connected to their overall well-being, including their mental health," said Kristen Cerf, president and CEO of Blue Shield of California Promise Health Plan. "These backpacks, filled with school supplies, support families by removing some of the stress from their back-to-school preparations and creating excitement about the new school year."

Each Center will distribute up to 1,500 backpacks, while supplies last. Parents are encouraged to have their children present, as each student will receive one backpack. A limited quantity of backpacks may be available to parents whose children are not present.

The L.A. Care and Blue Shield Promise Community Resource Centers offer a range of free classes, programs, and services to enhance the health and well-being of their members and the communities where they live. This includes addressing social needs. To learn more about the Community Resource Centers, visit www.CommunityResourceCenterLA.org.

The following is a list of the 2023 back-to-school events hosted by L.A. Care and Blue Shield Promise.

Friday, July 14
1 p.m. – 6 p.m.
Community Resource Center in El Monte
3570 Santa Anita Ave., El Monte, CA 91731

Thursday, July 20
10 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Community Resource Center in East L.A.
4801 Whittier Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90022

Friday, July 21
10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Community Resource Center in Pacoima
10807 San Fernando Road, Pacoima, CA 91331

Saturday, July 22
10 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Community Resource Center in Wilmington
911 North Avalon Blvd., Wilmington, CA 90744

Monday, July 24
11 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Community Resource Center in Norwalk
11721 Rosecrans Ave., Norwalk, CA 90650

Thursday, July 27
1 p.m. – 6 p.m.
Community Resource Center in Metro L.A. 
1233 S. Western Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90006

Friday, July 28
10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Community Resource Center in Lynwood
3200 East Imperial Hwy., Lynwood, CA 90262

Friday, July 28
4 p.m. – 8 p.m.
Community Resource Center in Palmdale
2072 E. Palmdale Blvd., Palmdale, CA 93550

Saturday, July 29
9 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Community Resource Center in Pomona
696 W. Holt Ave., Pomona, CA 91768

Monday, July 31
1 p.m. – 6 p.m.
Community Resource Center in Inglewood
2864 W. Imperial Hwy., Inglewood, CA 90303

Friday, August 4
1 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Community Resource Center in Long Beach
5599 Atlantic Ave., Long Beach, CA 90805

About L.A. Care Health Plan
L.A. Care Health Plan serves more than 2.9 million members in Los Angeles County, making it the largest publicly operated health plan in the country. L.A. Care offers four health coverage plans including Medi-Cal, L.A. Care Covered™️, L.A. Care Medicare Plus and the PASC-SEIU Homecare Workers Health Care Plan, all dedicated to being accountable and responsive to members. As a public entity, L.A. Care's mission is to provide access to quality health care for L.A. County's low-income communities, and to support the safety net required to achieve that purpose. L.A. Care prioritizes quality, access and inclusion, elevating health care for all of L.A. County. For more information, follow us on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram.

About Blue Shield of California Promise Health Plan
Blue Shield of California Promise Health Plan is a managed care organization, wholly owned by Blue Shield of California, offering Medi-Cal. It is led by healthcare professionals with a "members-first" philosophy and committed to building a quality network of providers and partnering with community organizations for more than 537,618 members across Los Angeles and San Diego counties. For more information about Blue Shield of California Promise Health Plan, please visit www.blueshieldca.com/promise. For more news about Blue Shield of California, please visit news.blueshieldca.com. Or follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter, or Facebook.

Media Contacts:
L.A. Care
Penny Griego
310-613-8309
[email protected] 

Blue Shield Promise
Mashi Nyssen
626-436-4345
[email protected]

SOURCE Blue Shield of California Promise Health Plan