PCI and Gabriella's Smile Foundation Bring Hope and Happiness to Children Battling Cancer

In a heartwarming event held at the headquarters of Gabriella's Smile Foundation in San Antonio, TX, earlier this August, Postal Center International (PCI) partnered with the organization by donating 100 backpacks with school supplies and assisted in distributing them to children fighting cancer. This initiative is part of an annual series of backpack drives PCI sponsors across the country supporting the communities it serves.

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From left to right: Megan Vance and Isabel Torres from Gabriella's Smile team host Berny Barahona, Sonia Gutierrez, and Julio Zuniga from PCI's Southwest Facility for the backpack distribution. (Photo credit: Postal Center International)

The event, filled with joy, gratitude, and hope, saw young students receiving backpacks and school essentials, providing them with a sense of normalcy and excitement for the upcoming school year.

Ismael Diaz, PCI's President and CEO, expressed his commitment to making a difference in the communities PCI serves.

"At PCI, we believe in giving back to the community and making a positive impact. Partnering with Gabriella's Smile Foundation allows us to bring joy to these brave children and their families. Seeing their faces light up when they receive their school supplies is truly priceless," he said.

Isabel Torres, Co-Founder and Executive Director of Gabriella's Smile Foundation, was pleased with the event's success and PCI’s partnership.

“The event was really great! We had a great turnout. Almost 60 children, along with their parents, came by to pick up backpacks. The kids were super happy, excited, and very hopeful,” said Torres.

“In addition to donating 100 backpacks with school supplies, PCI associates brought snacks and were on hand to distribute donuts, drinks, and water to the children when they came in, which was very helpful,” she continued.

The Co-Founder and Executive Director of Gabriella's Smile Foundation said the occasion lived up to its expectations by assisting in offsetting the costs associated with back-to-school shopping.

“When a parent has four or five children, and one has cancer, they're worried about the money it is going to take to buy school supplies and backpacks to make sure the kids are ready for school. A lot of the families were grateful and thankful that we were helping them out in this way,” she said.

According to the latest National Retail Federation (NRF) survey, back-to-school spending is expected to reach an unparalleled $41.5 billion, up from $36.9 billion last year. Families with children in elementary through high school plan to spend an average of $890.07 on back-to-school items this year. This is approximately $25 more than last year’s record of $864.35 and a new high.

Torres said several new families attended the event, and that, too, was a plus, as they could connect with other families sharing similar journeys.

The event concluded with heartfelt thanks and a renewed sense of hope for the future. Gabriella's Smile Foundation and PCI remain dedicated to their mission of supporting children with cancer and their families, ensuring that every child has the opportunity to smile and thrive.

The annual backpack drive is integral to PCI’s ongoing community outreach initiatives. The company has successfully distributed school supplies to students in Florida and Massachusetts.

For more information about PCI, the company’s commitment to youth, and its contribution to the communities in which it operates, please visit www.PCIbrands.com.

About Postal Center International (PCI)

Postal Center International (PCI) was founded in 1984 and is a leading print, mail, fulfillment, signs, and marketing solutions partner. Under the leadership of President & CEO Ismael Diaz since 2006, PCI has become renowned as one of the nation’s largest state-of-the-art transactional printing, postal, and mail processing service organizations. The company’s family of brands employs more than 560 associates, with annual sales of over $500 million, at its locations in the Southeast, Southwest, and Northeast regions, with a footprint totaling 562K square feet. PCI delivers exceptional mail, print, signs, fulfillment, promotional, packaging, and marketing solutions for enterprise clients in industries such as banking, financial, healthcare, insurance, hospitality, and government nationwide. PCI is a HIPAA-compliant Certified Minority Owned Diverse Supplier at the state and national levels. It holds multiple security, sustainability, and quality certifications, including HITRUST CSF®, TruSight, FDR, PCI DSS, SOC 2 (Type 2), FSC, SFI, PEFC, and G7.

About Gabriella's Smile Foundation

Located in San Antonio, Texas, Gabriella's Smile Foundation is dedicated to supporting families of children battling cancer by providing financial assistance, emotional support, and resources. Since 2016, the foundation has served over 1,900 children with backpacks, delivering them to oncology clinics in local children's hospitals. The backpacks are gifted to these brave cancer warriors and their siblings annually before the start of each school year. For more information, please visit www.gabriellassmile.org.

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