Welcome to the new school year and another year of THRIVE-ing at PHA. We have begun receiving enrollment forms from families wishing to receive weekend food backpacks. 3 thoughts on that topic:

1. If you participated last year, and want to continue getting backpacks this year please fill out a new enrollment form. Otherwise we will not know you wish to continue. (The enrollment form(s) in both English and Amharic can be found under Thrive! For Families. )
2. If you know of any family who could benefit from our backpack program, please encourage them to submit a form. Make sure they understand there are no requirements other than a completed form, and no obligations. They can join or drop out of the program at any time simply by notifying us.
3. Our first distribution of backpacks will happen on Friday October 13!! Families can still join after this date, and at any time throughout the year.

We will also resume our very popular and delicious Third Thursday community suppers. The schedule for these is as follows:

• November 16
• December 14
• January 18
• February 15
• March 15

As luck would have it, this year they all fall on the 3^rd Thursday of the month, making it easier to remember. If any of you out there would care to contribute your time setting up/cleaning up/serving let us know. And if any of you are in a position to help cook for these events, that would also be a very welcome contribution.

I’ll close this post by repeating a favorite phrase of my father’s, “And we’re off, like a herd of turtles down a cobblestone street.”