WFAA teamed up with Invitation Homes for the third consecutive year to provide supplies to students through United to Learn

DALLAS — Hundreds of Dallas ISD students received a Back to School surprise thanks to a generous donation from a North Texas housing company.

Invitation Homes partnered with WFAA for the third consecutive year to donate 800 backpacks to students in need. Invitation Homes’ employees gathered to pack each bag with pencils, notebooks, markers, and other supplies. The clear backpacks and supplies meet requirements for Dallas ISD students.

WFAA’s community partner, United to Learn, which works directly with Dallas ISD, identified 15 schools to receive backpacks from the donation drive.

“We are in the housing business. We rent homes. So having a partner like WFAA to help us make sure these backpacks get to the right schools in the right areas is invaluable,” said Allison Mullis, head of human resources for Invitation Homes.

The backpack deliveries came at the perfect time as some schools were in need of supplies.

“This is wonderful news,” said Lene Godat, United to Learn liaison at McShan Elementary School. “We ran out of backpacks at the Meet the Teacher event (the week prior), and there were some sad students and parents!” Godat said.

“Thank you so much for the backpacks! The district provided supply boxes and backpacks, but I ran out before my first graders received any supplies,” said Connie Westbrook, principal at C.A. Tatum Elementary School. “This will cover that gap for Tatum,” Principal Westbrook said.

Having sufficient school supplies ensures students start the year with a strong foundation for academic achievement.

“Every school supply matters to help accelerate student achievement across the district,” said Emily Wilson, United to Learn’s Chief Marketing Officer. “We know student scores are up. We also know there’s so much more work to be done. A child might spill milk on their backpack. They might need a new backpack. They might need a new notebook. It’s every supply that’s brought into the classroom that helps accelerate that achievement.”

United to Learn is a Dallas-based education non-profit that focuses on accelerating achievement through addressing key opportunity gaps.