AmeriHealth Caritas Florida Supports Back to School Drives, Reaching More Than 4,000 Children in Southeast Florida

With families shelling out hundreds to prepare children for back to school, AmeriHealth Caritas Florida hoped to give some relief to low-income families in Southeast Florida. Throughout the summer months, the plan provided more than 4,000 children with essential school supplies through local back-to-school events and contributed funds to help local organizations reach even more families.

"Families with limited income may be purchasing school supplies at the expense of other necessities, such as food, medicine, or even rent. Our goal is to alleviate some of the cost burden of school supplies for these families and help school-aged children get off to the best start possible," said AmeriHealth Caritas Florida Market President Melody Bonomo.

While school supplies are essential to a student's success, the cost can be prohibitive for low-income families. The National Retail Federation reports that families with children in elementary through high school spent an average of $874.68 on school items this year.

AmeriHealth Caritas Florida provided supplies or donated to events hosted by organizations throughout Southeast Florida, including:

AmeriHealth Caritas Florida's Senior Community Health Educator, Rachel McNair (right), delivers school supplies to Director of Advancement at Center for Child Counseling, Heather Bennett (left). Over the summer months, AmeriHealth Caritas Florida donated supplies to back-to-school events, benefitting more than 4,000 children and sponsored additional community events, aimed at getting kids prepared for the new school year.

About AmeriHealth Caritas Florida
AmeriHealth Caritas Florida operates as a Medicaid managed care plan through Florida's Statewide Medicaid Managed Care program, serving enrollees living in Miami-Dade, Monroe, Palm Beach, Martin, St. Lucie, Indian River and Okeechobee counties. AmeriHealth Caritas Florida's strength lies in its ability to foster collaboration among network providers to facilitate optimal health outcomes for members. For more information, visit www.amerihealthcaritasfl.comOpens a new window.

¹Majority of Back-to-Class Shoppers Have Already Begun Purchasing School Items, National Retail Federation, July 2024 https://nrf.com/media-center/press-releases/back-class-shopping-expected-reach-record-levelsOpens a new window.