ELK GROVE, CA (MPG) - Returning to school is an exciting time for students nationwide. It’s a whirlwind of emotions as children and teens prepare for a new start in their educational journeys.

It can also be a nerve-racking experience for those who may not have access to new clothes and gear to begin the school year on a confident note.

Nonprofit xHope helped ease those nerves through a series of back-to-school events from mid-July to early August. By opening its boutique doors, youth could shop for new outfits, shoes and backpacks at no cost, many items still with tags or gently used.

xHope’s back-to-school event series was full of smiles and excitement. Photo courtesy of xHope

Outreach coordinator Gina Thielke noted at the July 31 event that the nonprofit organization had already surpassed the goal of how many children to give back to this year. 

“I think our goal was to have 250 kids come through for an experience and after next Friday, our last experience, we’ll be at 300 kids served,” she said.

Many of the families that xHope works with come through referrals from Elk Grove Unified School District, foster agencies and local support centers, according to Thielke.

Its new warehouse location off Elkmont Way has more capacity to serve youth and families than before.

 

Outreach coordinator Gina Thielke said back-to-school events were an “experience” rather than simply handing out backpacks. Photo courtesy of xHope

“We just had a little closet that they would go shop in and we would just have one family at a time but we didn’t have space to the scale that we’re doing it in now,” said Thielke.

The goal, she added, was to make the back-to-school event an “experience” rather than simply handing out backpacks. In addition to new clothes, children also received school supplies and haircuts for a confidence boost before the first day.

Sacramento barber Willie Harris, also known as williemoneyblendz, volunteered his services at the July 31 event.

Harris told The Elk Grove Citizen that providing haircuts left him “feeling great” about giving back to the community.

“Especially like the confidence a haircut gives to kids. It’s just great,” said Harris.

 

Local barbers and hair stylists volunteered their time and services to give children free haircuts at the xHope back-to-school event series. Photo courtesy of xHope

Liviu Vizitu and Kyle Atwater, owners of local Chick-fil-A restaurants, also attended to support xHope’s mission.

Vizitu, of Chick-fil-A Delta Shores, said he has a personal connection to the organization, as xHope Executive Director Wendi Cross played a role in his family’s foster care journey.

“Wendi was a mentor for my wife when we were fostering and then we adopted a little boy,” he said.

Vizitu said he has known about xHope for a long time and has continually supported its growth.

“Chick-fil-A as a corporation really cares about foster kids and has a few foster homes … this kind of work is near and dear to Chick-fil-A’s core values,” said Vizitu.

 

Local Chick-fil-A restaurants donated chicken sandwiches for children and their families to enjoy a free meal at the back-to-school events. Photo courtesy of xHope

Atwater, of Chick-fil-A Elk Grove Marketplace, shared the same sentiment.

“We’re happy to partner and give where we can at this great organization,” he said. “This experience that they have for kids and families is amazing. A free chicken sandwich is just kind of the cherry on top of this day.”

Along with providing food, Chick-fil-A is contributing funds to transform the outdoor space at xHope’s location into a community courtyard.

The courtyard is one of several renovations the nonprofit is raising money for, along with a conference and collaboration room, a boutique closet called “Threads of Hope” and an enrichment classroom. These upgrades will support xHope’s mission to meet immediate needs, build relationships and connect with vulnerable youth.

 

In addition to new clothes, children received school supplies and haircuts for a confidence boost before the first day at xHope’s back-to-school events. Photo courtesy of xHope

Diane Lampe attended the July 31 event to network with families and children she knows through her role as a board member and volunteer with Elk Grove HART, a nonprofit that assists those experiencing homelessness. The group refers people to xHope and connects them with resources.

Lampe shared a recent encounter with a family that her nonprofit serves. She asked the child of the family about starting the new school year and he ran up excitedly to show her a backpack he received at an xHope back-to-school event.

“The feeling that it gives them to be able to go to school on the first day and have what other kids have is just magical,” Lampe said.

She also recalled that in the past, when she needed help with a family whose child needed a car seat, xHope was able to gather resources and provide one.

 

A girl poses with her new backpack at xHope’s back-to-school event on July 10. Photo courtesy of xHope

“We all just kind of help each other to wrap around the families,” she said.

Social media and marketing coordinator Megan Ham worked behind the scenes at the event to capture children’s enthusiasm as they got haircuts, posed for photos with the Chick-fil-A cow mascot and picked out new clothes.

Ham said that many success stories happen at xHope but aren’t documented. This event was an opportunity to showcase the organization’s impact on local youth.

“Our hope is to create a video where we can show to potential donors that we are doing more than just giving out an outfit,” Ham said. 

 

Nonprofit xHope helped ease back-to-school nerves through an event series from mid-July to early August. Photo courtesy of xHope

She explained that the nonprofit’s mission goes far beyond meeting surface needs, aiming to address the deeper challenges children face.

“We’re impacting at the root level … providing just that simple security for a child goes so much farther than what you expect it does, especially when you get to talk with the kids.”

For more information about xHope and to donate, visit xhopemissions.org.