Owens Offers Backpacks and School Supplies to Area Children
Owens Community College’s Alumni Association in collaboration with Books-A-Million Inc., nine Directions Credit Union branches, two Great Lakes Credit Union branches and five Genoa Bank branches are brightening many children’s lives through a unique community service endeavor titled “Backpack to the Future.” Five hundred forty-eight backpacks and 8,787 school supply items collected throughout the summer months are being donated to 17 area elementary schools during the month of September.
Beginning on Tuesday, Sept. 16, 9:30 a.m., Owens representatives will donate backpacks and school supplies to seven Toledo Public Schools—Old West End Academy, Whittier, Arlington, Marshal, Pickett Academy, Riverside, and Rosa Parks Elementary Schools – presented at Toledo Public Schools’ Old West End Elementary School (3131 Cambridge St.). Owens will deliver backpacks and supplies to benefit kindergarten students in Bowling Green, North Baltimore, Rossford, Northwood, Genoa, and Woodmore school districts at Rossford’s Glenwood Elementary School (8950 Avenue Rd.) at 3:30 p.m. On Thursday, Sept. 23. Owens representatives will make their final stop at Jacobs Primary (600 Jacobs Ave.) in Findlay on Thursday, Sept. 25, 10 a.m.
“Every year, area residents and businesses have given an impressive response and made the ‘Backpack to the Future’ supply drive an outstanding success,” said Kaye Koevenig, Owens “Backpack to the Future” project chair and Alumni Association Board director. “It’s wonderful to assure that many more disadvantaged children will be able to begin their school year with new educational supplies.”
Over the past three months, “Backpack to the Future” accepted gently used or new backpacks and new school supplies from area residents to assist disadvantaged kindergarten school children throughout Northwest Ohio. In addition to backpacks, individuals donated crayons, markers, bottles of glue, glue sticks, colored pencils, pencils, pink erasers, school boxes, pocket folders, marbled covered composition books and Kleenex tissues.
The drive also collected over $3,000 from community members. The charitable donations will go toward the purchase of school supplies.
The Owens Alumni Association established “Backpack to the Future” supply drive in 2004 as a way to provide educational outreach to the surrounding communities. To date, the program has given 3,948 backpacks and 71,011 school supplies to benefit disadvantaged children throughout Northwest Ohio.
“Our focus as an organization is to provide value-added programs and services that strengthen the surrounding communities and ensures every students success,” said Laura Moore, Owens executive director, Alumni Association and director, Alumni Relations.
Press Release Contact Name: Jared C. Meade
Press Release Contact Email: [email protected]
Press Release Contact Phone: 567-661-7421
Organization Name: Owens Community College
Organization Address: Perrysburg Township, OH