ABC7 partners with Shop With a Cop of Silicon Valley to distribute free food, books to South Bay families

SAN JOSE, Calif. (KGO) -- Families in the South Bay were treated to food assistance, free books, and gifts as the novel coronavirus pandemic continues to financially strain residents.

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As many head back to work as restrictions are lifted there are still a number of people who still need help to get by.

An event at Mckinley Elementary School in San Jose Tuesday helped provide families with much-needed supplies.

The event was put on by Shop with a Cop Foundation of Silicon Valley, San Jose Police, Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office, and a number of other law enforcement agencies across the South Bay.

A generous donation by ABC7 News and our parent company Disney and the Magic of Storytelling made book donations possible.

Continuing to grow reading and apprehension skills are critical as families prepare for an unusual spring break on the heels of an academic year turned upside down by the COVID-19 pandemic.

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"This is a huge event for us in terms of families having access to books and reading materials. Typically, most of our students rely on the library on their classroom library to have access to books and a lot of our families don't have books in the homes," said Julie Aguirre, Principal at McKinley Elementary.

Families were also treated to small gifts to keep their students occupied during the upcoming break.

To date, the Magic of Storytelling nonprofit has distributed 5,000 books to local children in need.

The Walt Disney Company is the parent company of ABC7.

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