Oklahoma Co. Grandparents Receive Much Needed Back To School Relief

Oklahoma is in the top 10 in the country in the number of grandparents raising their grandchildren, known as grandfamilies.

It was a good day for the approximately 200 grandfamilies who got some much-needed school supplies.

Sunbeam Family Services and the Oklahoma County Sheriff's Office TRIAD teamed up to hand out backpacks and school supplies through the Grandparents Raising Grandchildren program. They have done this for 17 years.

But this year is different. 

"Now more than ever, our community needs to know, we want to love our community one person at a time," said Corporal Kim Lopez, of Oklahoma County Sheriff's Office TRIAD.

"This is going to help them so much start the year off right, and really relieve some of that financial stress that that maybe they're experiencing right now," Sunbeam spokeswoman Angie Doss said.

Not to mention the stress avoided for a grandparent from having to go into a crowded store to shop for school supplies.

"They are safer at home, going out in the community is not something that is advised, so having this contact-less drive-thru is so beneficial to them," Doss said.

Sunbeam said they will have a surplus of around 100 backpacks after the event on Monday.

If you'd like to claim one for your grandchild, you can register on Sunbeam's website.