L.A. Care and Blue Shield of California will distribute FREE backpacks and school supplies

LOS ANGELES – L.A. Care and Blue Shield of California Promise health plans announced today they will distribute up to 33,000 free backpacks filled with school supplies for Los Angeles County students from kindergarten through college in July and August. This is the third year in a row that the two health plans have held this backpack event series.

The back-to-school giveaway events come as rising inflation is putting more financial strain on families. The events are open to the public, and they will take place in locations throughout Los Angeles County, including the health plans' jointly operated Community Resource Centers, from July 9 to August 13, 2022. Six of the 11 events will also feature free tote bags filled with groceries.

According to a recent Pew Research Center study, seven out of 10 Americans view inflation as the top problem facing the country, and the current price of many consumer goods has increased at the fastest year-over-year rate in four decades.

L.A. Care and Blue Shield Promise recognize this is an especially difficult time for low-income communities, and the back-to school events are the latest example of how the health plans’ Community Resource Centers are addressing social determinants of health, such as income security.          

"With more families feeling the pinch of inflation everywhere from the supermarket to the gas station, we are glad to alleviate some of the costs associated with gearing up for a new school year,” said John Baackes, L.A. Care CEO. “Families should be focused on school readiness, and not on what supplies they can skimp on to make ends meet.”

To best serve a large turnout of attendees, eight of the 11 events will be held at locations that can accommodate both drive-through and walk-up formats. Three events will be held at the Community Resource Centers in Inglewood, Norwalk, and Metro L.A. (Koreatown).

"We want to bring some peace of mind to families impacted by rising costs due to inflation, and to provide students across L.A. County with backpacks, food, and other necessary school supplies to help ensure a successful school year," said James Cruz, MD and chief medical officer for Blue Shield of California Promise Health Plan. "Through these back-to-school events, everyone can also learn about the vital resources available at our Community Resource Centers to help them live a healthy life."

The L.A. Care and Blue Shield Promise Community Resource Centers offer a range of free classes, programs and services that aim to improve the health and well-being of their members and surrounding communities, which includes addressing social needs. To learn more about the Community Resource Centers, visit activehealthyinformed.org.

The following is a list of the 2022 back-to-school events hosted by L.A. Care and Blue Shield Promise.

Saturday, July 9| drive-thru/walk-up 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. Palomares Park           499 E. Arrow Hwy., Pomona, CA 91767

Friday, July 15 | drive-thru/walk-up 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. Lynwood High School 4050 E. Imperial Hwy., Lynwood, CA 90262

Saturday, July 16 | drive-thru/walk-up Will include food giveaway 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. USC Parking Lot           Guest lot P10 (corner of Zonal and State St.)

Friday, July 22 | drive-thru/walk-up Will include food giveaway 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. Palmdale High School (football field parking lot on 20th St. East between Ave. R and Palmdale Blvd.) 2137 E. Ave. R Palmdale, CA 93550

Saturday, July 23 | drive-thru/walk-up 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. Serra Medical Clinic    375 San Fernando Road, Sun Valley, CA 91352

Friday, July 29 | drive-thru/walk-up Will include food giveaway 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. East L.A. College (stadium lot at 2000 Bleakwood Ave.) Monterey Park, CA 91754 (corner of Bleakwood Ave. and W. Floral Dr.)

Saturday, July 30 | drive-thru/walk-up 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. El Monte High School  3048 Tyler Ave., El Monte, CA 91731

Saturday, July 30 | walk-up only Will include food giveaway 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. Community Resource Center in Metro L.A. (Koreatown)      1233 S. Western Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90006

Friday, August 5 | walk-up only 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. Community Resource Center in Inglewood    2864 W. Imperial Hwy., Inglewood, CA 90303

Saturday, August 6 | walk-up only Will include food giveaway 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. Community Resource Center in Norwalk       11721 Rosecrans Ave., Norwalk, CA 90650

Saturday, August 13 | drive-thru/walk-up Will include food giveaway 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. Banning Senior High School    527 Lakme Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90744

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 and Cal MediConnect. It is led by healthcare professionals with a "members-first" philosophy and committed to building a quality network of providers and partnership with community organizations for more than 450,000 members. 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 www.news.blueshieldca.com. Or follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter, or Facebook.

 About L.A. Care Health PlanL.A. Care Health Plan serves more than 2.5 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 Cal MediConnect Plan 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.