TAMPA, Fla. -- A back to school celebration is providing hot meals and much needed eLearning supplies to children in East Tampa. 

One Bay Area mom is driving the effort to help students in her community. 

For Earlishia Oates, school is where the heart is. 

During the spring she opened up her front lawn for students who needed internet. And this summer, she's been serving up lunch to feed children in her neighborhood. Twice a month, she also donates books along with the food. 

The fact that the community was open to donating their books to kids in the community that need them was just so heartwarming to me because I know they didn't have to," Oates said. 

The support is focused on children who live in Silver Oaks Apartments where she was raised. 

Those students attend James Elementary and the reading scores have been consistently low there. 

Oates, who's PTA President at another school, worries the pandemic will make it even worse for the children at James Elementary. 

"Anything I can do to hinder that, to stop that and try to help, I'm going to do," she said. 

Oates is starting off the school year by raffling off five desks to eLearners. Oates is also getting donated laptops. 

"We’re going to celebrate those kids in that community and try to give them some of the things to start the school year off and be effective," she said. 

Oates said she is constantly calling around to get donations to help students in the community. 

The back to school event will take place at the Silver Oaks Apartments Saturday at 3 p.m.