Veda Rasheed (3E)

CUA Law student Veda Rasheed (3E) wants to ensure children in her D.C. community have the supplies they need to succeed this coming school year. In the spirit of the community, she has organized a Back to School Carnival that will take place on August 20 on the field of the Richard England Boys & Girls Club located at 4103 Benning Road, N.E., Washington, D.C. The purpose of the Back to School Carnival is to provide those in need of school supplies with the tools necessary to be successful in the classroom.

The Back to School Carnival will provide free haircuts, shoes, uniforms, school supplies, backpacks, free immunizations, dental screening, and school registration. There will be family-fun events such as moon bounces, face painting, cotton candy, snow cones, popcorn, hot dogs and hamburgers, a dunk tank, DJ's, a rock climbing wall, and a games station.

"More than 16 million kids live in extreme poverty in the U.S. and arrive on the first day of school without the supplies they need to learn," said Rasheed. "Not every family is as fortunate as mine. In fact, many of my sons' friends' parents often can't afford school supplies."

As a part of CUA Law's annual Orientation Community Service Day on Thursday, August 18, 2016, our incoming evening students will be sorting school supplies and packing backpacks in support of the Carnival.

To help Veda reach her goal CUA Law is seeking school supply donations (pencils, markers, paper, rulers, backpacks, pens, glue, and scissors).

If you would like to donate, please drop off any of the items listed above to the Office of Career and Professional Development (Room 163) no later than Monday, August 15 at 5:00 p.m. or you can drop off your donations in the marketed boxes outside the café lounge on the ground floor.

Earlier this summer Rasheed organized an anti-violence march and delivered remarks during a Capitol Hill press conference with Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi.

Rasheed, the single mother of two boys, ages 8 and 11, organized the march because she is concerned about the safety of her family and the increasing violence near her children's Ward 7 school. Homicides in the area have dramatically increased from seven in 2015 to 22 so far in 2016.

Rasheed told the Washington Post the community needs parents to be more involved with their children and for people to be more educated about programs that already exist. She also noted that the community needs more jobs and more youth activities.

"Usually, when people are successful, they leave the neighborhood," Rasheed told the Washington Post, but after she graduates from CUA Law she plans to stay in Benning Ridge.