DETROIT, Mich. – Proper school supplies can help ensure a successful academic year for students. But all too many families cannot afford school supplies they need to help their children succeed. For this reason, Butzel law firm is continuing a tradition it started five years ago to give away brand new backpacks filled with supplies to students at a school in metro Detroit.
On August 29, Butzel attorneys and team members distributed nearly 400 backpacks filled with school supplies to K-5 students at Oakman Elementary School in Dearborn.
“Many elementary school students come from low-income families,” said Paul Mersino, attorney, shareholder, and Trustee of the Butzel Charitable Trust. “Too many students across the state come from homes that are considered below the poverty level. For many of these families, school supplies are not at the top of the list when they are trying to pay the bills and keep the lights on, to say nothing of trying to put food on the table. Importantly, studies indicate that students who have the proper supplies they need for school obtain better grades and higher test scores.
“Studies also indicate that when students have the supplies they need, their attendance improves, which also leads to better performance,” he added. “Just as important, by providing students with materials they need for school, we can help parents and families make ends meet and ensure they do not have to choose between purchasing school supplies and purchasing food, clothing, and other essential needs. Moreover, many teachers pay for supplies out of pocket, and this also helps them. Our teachers have a very important job, and anything we can do to help them is an added benefit.”
The Butzel Long Charitable Trust supports many local organizations year-round in an effort to give back to the City and region that it has been located in for 168 years. This is the fifth year that Butzel partnered with the Kids in Need Foundation to bring backpacks to deserving school children. Butzel hopes to continue doing so every school year.
