A swarm of children, varying in age, filled the entryway leading to the ballroom at House Three Thirty on Thursday afternoon, waiting patiently for their turn to pick the right back-to-school backpack. Some peeked over the shoulders of those in front of them, trying to get a quick look. Not far away, standing in front of the Big Brothers, Big Sisters vendor table was Cassidy Merriweather, 10. She had already secured her backpack. She picked the black one over blue, navy and lavender options. “Black is cool,” she said. This trip to House Three Thirty was the first for Merriweather and her mother, Atrice Brock.
