A bunch of stolen school supplies in a trailer in Chicago last Thursday were quickly replenished through donations. These school supplies were supposed to be back-to-school giveaways in an event last Saturday.
After the organizers announced what happened, Chicago residents pitched in for the even to push through.
The ransacking incident
According to a report from Block Club Chicago, the organization M.A.S.K. or Mothers Against Senseless Killings planned to donate tablets to Chicago public schools. However, when its founder Tamr Manasseh returned from an outreach activity in Memphis, she discovered that their headquarters got ransacked.
Their trailer, which was placed at 7400 S. Stewart Ave., was full of school supplies gathered through donations. All of these were gone when they returned.
Manasseh immediately filed a police report upon discovering what happened.
The outpour of donations
After discovering the incident, members of M.A.S.K. shared on social media what happened to their headquarters.
Surprisingly, within just 24 hours, the tablets and other school supplies were replenished through Chicago residents' donations.
All of the 60 tablets that were in the Amazon wishlist for M.A.S.K. were purchased before the end of Thursday. Other individuals pledged on sending donations for the children in Chicago public schools.
In a Facebook post, Manasseh shared, "Today could've been a terrible day. But all of our friends, supporters, and even strangers, stepped up and made sure it wasn't."
Manasseh was extremely grateful for the support that they received. She added, "We literally could not do it without you! Thank you all, so much!"
The event for Chicago Public Schools
In a Facebook live last Saturday, Manasseh shared how their organization was preparing for their event. Members were busy packing the school supplies donated by Chicago residents.
Their event is an annual activity held before the opening of classes. This year's school supplies giveaways event is the fifth time that M.A.S.K. had.
Aside from giving away school supplies, the event also included sign-up booths for a study program, supervised learning, teletherapy, and internet connectivity support.
The group partnered with other organizations like The Honeycomb Project, Family Focus, One Tail At A Time Dog Rescue, and Lincoln Square Mamas for Justice.
