It's difficult to learn anything without the proper gear. It's even harder to learn if you're worried about being different from everyone else.

Children from low-income families want to do what everyone else does at school: learn. Yet many come from families whose resources don't stretch far enough to provide school supplies.

Every August, the BVC coordinates a back-to-school supply drive, then works with our partner agencies to deliver what's collected to children throughout the state.

The BVC has distributed over $320,000 in school supplies, and it's more than just pencils - everything from backpacks to binders and composition books to calculators.