Elks Lodge in Desert Hot Springs helps students get back to school ready

About a hundred students are fitted to go back to school with the help of the Elk Lodge in Desert Hot Springs.

Maria Jimenez helped the Elk Lodge secure three grants recently. One to help teachers with supplies, another for veterans, as well as a grant to help provide backpacks, books and shoes for students.

This allowed the lodge to organize Saturday's backpack and shoe giveaway for Desert Hot Springs students.

"We've been doing it for the last four years. We do the backpacks and shoes for the kids. We try to give as much as we can for the community," says Jimenez.

You could see the excitement Saturday morning as the kids picked up their new gear.

"They're very grateful, because you know, it's a blessing to everybody that we can provide shoes to some kids," says Jimenez.

In all, about 80 families received new shoes to help kick off the school year.

Volunteers saying it's just as rewarding for them, as it for the kids.

"Very grateful that we had a great turnout. It's something that we look forward to every year. Just seeing the smiley faces of the kids and the blessings we can give everybody," says Jimenez.