Golden Start Backpack Drive

Our Story

The founders of Golden Wat, Peter and Jamie Teng, Hobi Nguyen, and myself, Kevin Ly, are proud Asian-American business owners who pride ourselves on supporting underprivileged communities, similar to the community we grew up in.

As young, first generation Asian-American children growing up in government assisted housing, we've experienced hardships similar to most children in our situation. We know the mixed emotions involved with the first day of school. Like most other students, we're excited to get back together with friends and classmates, along with having the privilege and opportunity to learn something new that positively impacts our future.  But at the same time, there's always the lingering anxiety, stress, and pressure put on our family to provide us with the supplies needed to have a successful start to the school year.

The reality for most students coming from low-income families, is that there is usually a trade-off of essential needs. Getting school supplies this time around, may mean less groceries this month or a delay in bills being paid. In my case, we had to forgo school supplies a few years to afford formula for my two baby sisters.

Fast-forward, and now the Golden Wat team and I have the opportunity to support children experiencing those same hardships. Our goal is to provide 1,000 backpacks, with school supplies, back to the communities who need them most. We believe that even a gesture this small, can have a great impact on a student's academic success, while alleviating the financial burden on their families.

We hope that you will join us in supporting our journey to make a difference! Whether you are able to make a donation or go on social media to 'Share,' 'Like,' and/or 'Comment,' your support will make a difference in a child's life.

Here's to helping children have a Golden Start to the 2022-2023 school year!