An Altadena Nonprofit’s Annual Back-to-School Giveaway Moves to Pasadena City Hall For the First Time Today

When Valerie Toliver talks about handing a child a backpack, she does not talk about zippers or notebooks. She talks about the look on a kid’s face — the shift, she calls it — when a small face softens as yungster realizes, “Hey, there’s people out here that care.”

That moment will play out again on Sunday, August 9, when LOV Olive Branches Community Development Corporation holds what Toliver described as its 17th annual Back to School Community Give Back at Pasadena City Hall, distributing backpacks, school supplies, food, gift cards and clothing to families who have registered for the free event. Toliver is the organization’s President.

Close to 2,000 families have already signed up, Toliver said in early August.

The giveaway, scheduled from 12:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. at 100 North Garfield Avenue, lands one week after the earlier Dena Community Backpack Giveaway at the Rose Bowl on August 2.

Together, the two events bookend a week of back-to-school relief for Pasadena and Altadena families preparing for the Pasadena Unified School District’s first day of classes on August 17.

LOV Olive Branches was founded in 1999 by Pastor Leroy and Anna Toliver, longtime Altadena residents who served as advocates for at-risk youth and as Department of Children and Family Services and Family to Family community partners in North Pasadena, according to the organization.

The nonprofit describes its mission as working “to graft in and give life to as many broken branches (children and families) as possible.” The organization says the back-to-school event began in 2012.

The giveaway started in a barbershop.

It grew. It moved to Farnsworth Park in Altadena, where it ran for roughly 12 years, Toliver said. In 2024, it moved to the Rose Bowl. This year, it moves to City Hall.

This year’s event carries the theme “Revive, Restore, Renew.”

One change from prior years: instead of on-site haircuts by volunteer barbers, the organization will distribute vouchers from Simply Divine Barbering and Cosmetology School, an Altadena-based academy at 431 East Woodbury Road that offers programs in barbering, cosmetology, esthetics and manicuring, Toliver said.

Manicure vouchers will also be available this year, Toliver said.

“I think it’s so important for our kids to feel their best when they’re going to school,” Toliver said. “It affects them. It affects the way they learn. It affects their schoolwork. It affects their behavior.”

Beyond backpacks, the event will offer brand-new clothing, shoes, baby items including strollers, and gift cards to stores including Walmart and McDonald’s, Toliver said. A kids’ zone is planned.

“When community come together, one heart, one mind, to serve those that are in need, it’s powerful,” Toliver said. “It’s strength. It’s oneness.”

Seventeen Augusts in, Toliver still gets emotional when she describes why she keeps doing it. “To see the impact in your lives shift from when they come in to when they leave,” she said, her voice catching, “that means so much to me.”

NEED TO KNOW

The Revive, Restore, Renew Back to School Backpack Community Event takes place Sunday, August 9, from 12:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. The event is free. It will be held at Pasadena City Hall, 100 North Garfield Avenue, Pasadena, CA 91101. Volunteers are asked to arrive at 7:30 a.m. to help with setup and transport. Monetary donations and gift card donations are accepted; to donate or volunteer, call 626-484-5639 or email info@lovolivebranchescdc.com. Registration is available through the barcode on the event flyer or on Eventbrite. For more information, visit lovolivebranchescdc.com or call 626-484-5639.