I'm Mari, a 19-year-old kid from Flint, MI. I am known globally as "Little Miss Flint." While I'm known nationally for my work as a clean water advocate, a big part of my work is giving back to the kids right here in Flint, Michigan.

This year marks the 11th year of my back-to-school giveaway for Flint and Genesee County area kids.

Over the past 11 years, we have been able to distribute over 22,000 fully stuffed backpacks.

In addition to backpacks and supplies, we have been able to distribute hygiene kits, books, socks, underwear, sneakers, school uniforms, clothing, and so much more.

It costs about $225 to purchase the supplies to send a child back to school; that does not include any of the extras like clothes, shoes, and toiletries. If you add in those items, you are between $500 and $800 per child.

That's why it's important to help get students ready for school beyond just backpacks and supplies.

We had all of our backpacks and school supplies ready to go for this year's event when our storage unit was broken into for the second time in 18 months. We lost all of our supplies, plus shoes, toys, bikes, and so much more stuff we had been shopping for and putting away for future events. So sadly, we are starting over from nothing.

This year, it is $30 to sponsor a backpack and school supplies for a local kid. Our goal this year is to get 500 kids sponsored (we usually take care of 1,000 kids, but with losing so much, we had to lower the goal).

Our focus this year is:

-500 backpacks with supplies

-300 pairs of sneakers

-100+ packs of socks

-100+ packs of underwear

-100 period kits

-Hair accessories for the girls

-Other hygiene items (like deodorant and body wash)

We are also seeking some community partners to offer:

-Haircuts

-Hair braiding

-Food

-Resources for families in need

Our event isn't just a backpack giveaway; it's an event for the entire family that aims to meet the needs of local kids heading back to school.