Sometimes Local Love looks like something as simple as making sure a child walks into school feeling prepared.

New Challenge Ministries says its 14th annual Back-to-School program helped 500 children begin the school year with supplies and support provided through local sponsors, community partners and volunteers.

The organization, which has served South Bay communities since 1981, works with a long list of local businesses, nonprofits and civic groups that contribute funding, food, materials and volunteer time.

That kind of support can be easy to overlook once the backpacks are packed and school is underway. But for families managing tight household budgets, back-to-school costs can add up quickly.

The larger story is the network behind the effort: businesses, service clubs, volunteers and donors each contributing a piece.

Five hundred children is a big number.

But behind it are 500 individual starts to the school year made just a little easier because people in the community decided to help.

Article Link: Learn More About New Challenge Ministries