Homewood Children's Village

Dear friends - I am raising money for a timely and important cause: helping families in East Hills - an underserved neighborhood where I attended elementary school - get backpacks and back to school supplies. This is the NINTH year we are having the East Hills Back to School Drive; our story can be found below. All donations are tax deductible and will go directly to violence prevention non-profit Homewood Children's Village. No amount is too small, thanks for your consideration!

THE STORY: From 1993 to 1998, I attended a wonderful public school: East Hills Elementary. East Hills was an inner-city school in Pittsburgh that brought children of all different backgrounds together to learn, play, and get to know each other. Even though East Hills was an underserved neighborhood, parents were proud that their children attended the school, which had some of the best teachers and administrators in the city. Through the magnet program, East Hills helped to desegregate Pittsburgh Public Schools and was a thriving example of a diverse learning environment. East Hills Elementary closed in 2007. The alumni of the school were devastated, and many in our community felt that this was an example of the re-segregation of the Pittsburgh Public Schools. When I shared my feelings on the school closing in an editorial with the Post-Gazette ( https://www.post-gazette.com/opinion/2007/09/16/Sunday-Forum-An-elegy-for-East-Hills-Elementary/stories/200709160224 ), I received an outpouring of support from East Hills alumni, parents, and teachers. People repeatedly asked how they could get involved and what they might do to help.

Eighteen years later, the neighborhood of East Hills continues to be one of the most underserved communities in Pittsburgh. We will be working with urban violence prevention non-profit organization Homewood Children's Village and community leaders to have the NINTH annual East Hills Back to School Drive. Last year, we raised enough money to purchase hundreds of backpacks for kids that needed them!

Considering the success of previous years, we are again raising money to help children and teens in East Hills and adjoining areas get the back-to-school materials that they need. The materials we donate will include backpacks, writing utensils, and related necessities.

Our goal is to raise $1000 on GoFundMe and donate it to Homewood Children's Village, which will help us purchase the backpacks and school supplies. We are planning a community event to distribute our supplies to families in need. This project is an amazing way to give back to the neighborhood where many of us spent formative childhood years.

Although East Hills Elementary is gone, we should fight to continue its mission of promoting socio-economic equality through education. Give a little or a lot – everything helps. Your donation is tax deductible. Thank you very much for your consideration and involvement! - Zeke Rediker - East Hills Class of 1998