HeartLove Place hosts 26th annual back-to-school giveaway in Milwaukee

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) — Milwaukee families received backpacks, school supplies and books Saturday afternoon during the 26th annual Back to School Family Rally hosted by HeartLove Place.

The event was held at the YWCA building on Martin Luther King Jr. Drive and is aimed at helping families prepare for the upcoming school year.

HeartLove Place Executive Director Viola Rembert said the inspiration for the event came nearly three decades ago after she saw a child being picked on for not having school supplies.

"I started this years ago because I've been doing back-to-school events since the '90s," Rembert said. "I remember going to a school one time and doing a speaking engagement and there was a kid sitting there, and they were kind of getting on him because he didn't have any school supplies, and boom, that's where the idea came from."

This year, organizers also set a goal of putting a book in the hands of every child who attended, using donations provided by the community.