The Family Giving Tree extends our heartfelt thanks to the Bay Area community for stepping up in support of our Back to School Drive this year. With a short time left to the Drive, we found ourselves several thousand backpacks short of our goal of 27,000. We could meet our committed number, but we still had many low income students on a waiting list, hoping to start school with their very own backpacks and school supplies. We sent out a plea for help and the Bay Area rose to the occasion in characteristic generous fashion. Individuals, service clubs, school groups and churches as well as small businesses and large corporations from all over the region gifted us with more than 3,000 additional backpacks. Their donations enabled us to serve everyone in the waiting list and help send a total of 30,000 deserving children off to school well equipped and ready to learn. What a great feeling!We thank you with sincere gratitude. You’re the best!