How One Woman's Memory Turned Into Lasting Support for Coweta and Fayette County Students

A few years ago, a Panasonic Automotive employee named Delphina remembered something from her own life that she couldn't shake: how hard it was, as a single mom, to afford book bags and school supplies before the first day of class.

So she did something about it. Delphina asked her company to partner with the Real Life Center to collect school supplies for local kids. What started as one woman's idea has grown into an annual tradition that Panasonic Automotive employees still show up for, year after year.

In the early years, the drive collected a wide mix of individual school supplies. This year, we simplified things. Instead of asking for loose items, we put together an Amazon wishlist of complete school supply kits, sorted by grade level: elementary, middle, and high school.

Panasonic Automotive's team took it from there. They built a flyer, shared it with employees, and made it easy to give in three ways: drop off a purchased kit at a collection bin on-site, have a kit shipped straight to the Real Life Center, or give financially through our website.

That kind of flexibility matters. Not everyone has time to shop, but everyone can find a way to help a student in Coweta or Fayette County start the school year prepared and confident.

By the end of the drive, Panasonic Automotive employees had donated 41 complete school kits, ready to hand directly to students who needed them. That's 41 backpacks packed with everything from pencils to planners, and 41 fewer things for a parent to worry about buying this fall.

Delphina retired from Panasonic Automotive earlier this year, but before she did, she made sure the partnership would outlast her own involvement. She connected our team with new points of contact at the company to keep the drive going strong.

And it has. Panasonic Automotive recently let us know they are sending additional financial support to help fund this year's school supplies effort, continuing a legacy of generosity that started with one employee's memory of a hard season.

Every backpack and folder we hand out is more than a school supply. For a parent stretching every dollar, it's one less thing to worry about. For a child walking into their first day of school, it's a small but real sign that someone believes in their future.

We are grateful for partners like Panasonic Automotive who do not just give once but keep showing up. That kind of faithfulness reflects the same steady, generous love we try to show every family who walks through our doors.

Thanks to generous partners like Panasonic Automotive, our school supply needs for 2026 are fully met. What a gift!

Now we are turning our attention to something just as important: the everyday needs of the families we serve. Gifts to our “General Operations” fund give us the flexibility to provide food and financial assistance right when a family needs it most, whether that's help with a utility bill, a bag of groceries, or emergency support in a tough season.

If Delphina's story moved you the way it moved us, consider giving to "General Operations" today. Your gift helps us meet needs we cannot always predict, with the same faithfulness Panasonic Automotive has shown year after year.