ACCA’s back to school appeal gets hundreds of youngsters off to a great start
This year, more children than ever before were helped by ACCA, returning to school with the equipment needed to ensure they can learn. In all, 841 new school bags and back packs were given out to 35 different establishments including schools, food banks, orphanages, homes and social community centres looking out for the poorest kids in the Algarve.
Children’s charity ACCA, working alongside the Castelo dos Sonhos team from Silves, reached youngsters from Estoi to Lagos, Sao Bras to Portimao, Loule to Silves, Almancil to Armacao de Pera and all places in between with packs filled with essential materials – from pens and pencils to notebooks, coloured markers, rulers and more. Without these, children cannot take full part in classes and their progress at school would be hindered.
The generosity of a huge number of individual donors and groups from St Vincent Church, Pereira; Quinta Ladies, Central Ladies Lunch Club, Four Seasons Fairway, and the Ladies Group in Sao Bras, made the programme possible, while businesses across the Algarve served as collection centres for materials.
ACCA works from one year to the next on the provision of back-to-school needs, buying items such as back packs from Staples at bargain prices during the sale periods, and negotiating bulk-purchase deals with, for example, Continente. This year The Golf Shack brought a wonderful range of packs for the programme. The charity is now focused on encouraging schools to recycle text books.
ACCA is looking for volunteers to help out at future fundraisers. Contact Gwenda Daud –mdaud@mail.telepac.pt – to find out more.
