COMMUNITY
Law firm offers back-to-school help for Albuquerque families
Lerner and Rowe will give away 1,000 free backpacks to local students July 7
The law firm Lerner and Rowe is giving back to the community ahead of the upcoming school year.
As part of an annual tradition, the firm will distribute 1,000 free backpacks filled with school supplies.
鈥淚t鈥檚 our way of helping local students start the school year with confidence,鈥� founding attorney Kevin Rowe said in a news release.
The firm said the effort is intended to help offset back-to-school costs, which they note can be especially burdensome for New Mexico families.
According to New Mexico鈥檚 Indicator-Based Information System, the state鈥檚 child poverty rate has consistently been about 30% to 40% higher than the national average.
鈥淎ll kids deserve access to the same learning tools needed to succeed in the classroom, no matter their family鈥檚 financial situation,鈥� Rowe said.
The giveaway will begin at 4 p.m. Tuesday, July 7, at Expo New Mexico, 300 San Pedro NE, in Albuquerque. Children must be present to receive a backpack.
鈥淎lbuquerque holds a special place for us. This is a city with tremendous heart, and we see that in the way neighbors show up for one another every single day. But we also know that for many families here, back-to-school season can be genuinely stressful,鈥� Rowe said. 鈥淔or families already running on a tight budget, a backpack full of supplies isn鈥檛 a small thing; it鈥檚 one less financial concern to address.鈥�
