CHICAGO, IL – Chicago real estate brokerage Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices KoenigRubloff Realty Group gave each of the 600 students at Seward Communication Arts Academy a fully stocked backpack for 
the start of school on September 4th. Students received the backpacks at a special assembly held in the auditorium at school on their first day. Seward is a Chicago Public School located at 4600 S. Hermitage in the Back of the Yards neighborhood. The backpacks were provided courtesy of the brokers with significant contributions from staff, family, friends and colleagues in the brokerage community.
Real Estate Broker Anne Rodia of KoenigRubloff started the initiative 15 years ago with a few friends. Initially, each friend filled about five backpacks and dropped them off at a school. Since then, the initiative has grown exponentially. 
The backpacks are filled with supplies that students need such as notebooks, pens, pencils, colored pencils, highlighters and more. Additionally, each teacher in 38 classrooms received a bag with classroom essentials including Clorox wipes, first aid kits and hand sanitizer. The Art Teacher received five bags full of art supplies including construction paper, paint, markers, doodle pads and more. They also provided snacks for each classroom including Goldfish, Pop Smart and pre-packaged snacks.
The Backpack Project, as it’s affectionately referred to, takes place over the course of a month. Generous individuals donated funds, while others shopped for the contents and still others collated and stuffed the backpacks. Once the backpacks were completed, 
they were loaded into a trailer for storage and unloaded at the school the next morning. Children were called to the stage in the auditorium by class with the younger students going first. As children proceeded across the stage, KoenigRubloff brokers helped the students choose a backpack for their year ahead!
Rodia said, “From the bottom of my heart, I want to thank everyone who assisted with this project this year.” She continued, “I worked closely with Principal Nora Cadenas, the teachers and the administration to make sure we were giving the students what they needed most. From donating to shopping to stuffing, our team really stepped up for the kids this year. I could not have done it without each and every one of you and I’m already thinking about ways to make this project even better next year!”
About Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices KoenigRubloff Realty Group
Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices KoenigRubloff Realty Group’s Michigan Avenue office is located at 980 N. Michigan Avenue, Suite 700 in Chicago. KoenigRublof is a full-service real estate firm with nearly 1,500 real estate professionals and staff in 23 offices serving customers throughout the Chicago metropolitan area, the North Shore, Western Suburban communities and Harbor Country, Michigan. Deep local roots are complemented by the extensive global reach of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices, the top real estate brand in the nation. Affiliated and ancillary services in the form of HomeServices Lending, Fort Dearborn Title, and HomeServices Insurance complete the comprehensive services offered to clients. Visit KoenigRubloff.com.