United Way of Tri-County Helps Local Kids Go Back to School Prepared to Learn
For the past 10 years, the United Way of Tri-County has worked to ensure that local kids return to school prepared to learn. Through the generosity of local companies and individuals they’ve raised more than $100,000 and distributed over 4000 backpacks to local kids through their Back-to-School Backpack Program.
This year 17 companies volunteered their time and donated their money to help make the program a success in 11 local youth serving agencies.
One such company BJ’s Wholesale Club, an avid United Way supporter, was able to collect over $5,000 worth of supplies and backpacks at their headquarters in Natick. BJ’s Wholesale Club holds various collection drives throughout the year to benefit area nonprofits, children and families. Collection boxes were set up for two weeks for employees to donate items such as notebooks, pencils, erasers, markers, and paper.
“BJ’s Wholesale Club is very proud of the support from both our Team Members and Vendor Partners Crayola®, Mead®, Purell®, Sanford Brands®, Sharp®, and Zebra® toward our Giving Back Drive. Their contributions will help hundreds of local children start the school year off right with a backpack full of essential supplies,” said Jessica Newman, BJ’s manager of community relations,
Another local company, CA, Inc., a new supporter of the back to school backpack program, donated 30 backpacks and over $1,000 worth of supplies. Additionally, a team of 13 CA employees volunteered over 30 hours to help sort supplies and stuff backpacks. “CA is pleased to support the United Way of Tri-County,” said Anne Marie Agnelli, vice president communications and community relations, CA, Inc. “We value the work that our neighboring nonprofit organizations do and this is an example of how CA employees get involved and give back to their local community.”
“We want to thank all of the companies who donated to the program this year” said Paul L. Mina, President & CPO of the United Way: “Acadia Insurance, Allegra Print and Imaging, Avidia Bank, BJ’s, Bose Corporation, Commonwealth Creative Associates, CA, Inc., Dow Chemical, Fitts Insurance, Instron, Middlesex Savings Bank, Raytheon and UPS made sure that 375 deserving young people received the tools they needed to go back to school ready to learn just like everyone else” he said.
