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Libre Institute distributes free school supplies to west Michigan Hispanic community

Libre Institute school supplies
Libre Institute
/
Libre Institute
Libre Institute school supplies give away.

Thursday evening event helps families curb high cost of school supplies that have increased 23.7% over the past two years.

The Libre Institute, a nonprofit providing educational resources for empowering the Latino Community, is easing the burden for west Michigan’s Hispanic community with a back-to-school backpack event with free school supplies. Ricardo Alfaro is West Michigan engagement director for Libre.

“We know that inflation has affected all of us and especially the Hispanic community.”

Deloitte’s 16th annual back-to-school survey indicates over the past two years, the price of school supplies has increased 23.7%. There’s been some relief with the average cost per child dropping 10% from last year when parents spent $661. This year it an average $597.

“We understood that that was an opportunity for us to contribute to the community and help with relieving them and providing school supplies so that wouldn’t have to worry for that at the beginning of classes.”

With donor support, up to 200 students, grades K-12 are eligible for school supplies.

Patrick joined WGVU Public Media in December, 2008 after eight years of investigative reporting at Grand Rapids' WOOD-TV8 and three years at WYTV News Channel 33 in Youngstown, Ohio. As News and Public Affairs Director, Patrick manages our daily radio news operation and public interest television programming. An award-winning reporter, Patrick has won multiple Michigan Associated Press Best Reporter/Anchor awards and is a three-time Academy of Television Arts & Sciences EMMY Award winner with 14 nominations.