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Owens Community College assists school children with ‘Backpack to the Future’ Summer Supply Drive
As another school year comes to an end, many students are once again placing their backpacks in storage or are discarding them entirely in anticipation of buying next fall’s latest fashion trend. Owens Community College’s Alumni Association has taken the initiative of once again organizing a gently-used backpack drive to provide new life for what many students consider their mobile lifeline to learning.
The College’s Alumni Association community service endeavor, titled “Backpack to the Future,” is currently accepting gently-used or new backpacks and new school supplies from area residents during the summer months. Items collected, as part of the “Backpack to the Future” program, will be given to low-income elementary school children throughout Northwest Ohio.
“There are many low-income families that can barely afford to pay their bills, and may not be able to provide their children with new supplies. The Owens Community College Alumni Association’s goal is to ensure that such occurrences do not happen and that all children begin their school year with new educational resources,” said Kaye Koevenig, Owens Community Service Chair of the Alumni Association.
In addition to the gently-used backpacks and new backpacks, individuals can donate crayons, markers, bottles of glue, glue sticks, colored pencils, pencils, pink erasers, school boxes, pocket folders, marbled covered composition books and Kleenex tissues. Area residents can bring their charitable donations to the Office of Alumni Relations on the Toledo-area Campus in Perrysburg Township and to the Student Services Center on the Findlay-area Campus in Findlay.
Since establishing the program in 2004, the Owens Alumni Association has given over 1,930 backpacks and over 34,410 school supplies to benefit disadvantaged children throughout Northwest Ohio.
Since opening its doors in 1965, Owens has provided higher education to more than 250,000 students. Owens’ Alumni Association is committed to the personal and professional success of alumni and students through the ongoing development of value-added initiatives.
For more information about the school supply drive, or to make a donation, contact the Owens Alumni Relations Office at (567) 661-7876, 1-800-GO-OWENS, Ext. 7876 or [email protected].
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