Broadview Heights, Ohio, August 12, 2026
Photo: domoca.org
An Ohio parish prepared dozens of backpacks for underprivileged children on Sunday as part of a broader program.
Archangel Michael Orthodox Church in Broadview Heights (Orthodox Church in America) blessed and assembled the backpacks, which were filled with school supplies, as part of FOCUS’s Back to School Backpack Program, the Diocese of Chicago and the Midwest reports.
Altogether, more than 100 backpacks were prepared, according to the parish bulletin.
Photo: domoca.org
The effort was spearheaded by the parish’s R Club chapter, which raised over $2,000 for the project.
The blessing took place near the end of the Divine Liturgy on Sunday, August 9. Afterward, children of the parish helped fill each backpack with the educational supplies, tucking in handmade notes meant to encourage the students who would receive them for the upcoming school year.
The project gave the children a hands-on lesson in caring, sharing, and kindness toward those less fortunate than themselves.
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