In Studio + Virtual We're Back WE'RE EXCITED TO WELCOME YOU BACK TO THE SPARKLE BAR AS WE OPERATE AT LIMITED CAPACITY TO ENSURE EVERYONE'S SAFETY. BY APPOINTMENT, IN STUDIO, ON LOCATION AND VIRTUALLY. Visit thesparklebar.com for more information

I t’s a school year like no other. Believe me, I know, as a parent of a freshman and a fourth-grader. But we don’t need to go into all that. There are some things that never change, and the need for students to be properly equipped for school is one of them. It goes beyond just books and school supplies. To succeed, students need to feel good about themselves. They need to be properly dressed and have all the tools they need to learn. For lower-income families simply making ends meet, putting food on the table can be a struggle, much less ensuring that children have all their clothing and supplies. Fortunately, a program offered here in the Valley and in the Tri-State area of Arizona, Nevada and California is helping meet this critical and often underappreciated need. Legacy Backpack Buddies is a project produced by Legacy Connection, which is an affiliate of BHHS Legacy Foundation. It’s put on here in the Valley in collaboration with Back to School Clothing Drive Association, Assistance League of Phoenix and Assistance League of East Valley Operation School Bell programs, local Rotary and Kiwanis Clubs, and corporate partners and community sponsors. Together, the program distributes more than 20,000 backpacks annually to elementary schoolchildren from Backpack Buddies project provides critical items for students in need Tom Evans | Contributing Editor PACKING FOR THE FUTURE FRONTDOORS MEDIA | 33 | FEB 2021 NEXT DOORS {ahead of the curve}