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Owens Community
College Assists School Children With ‘Backpack to the
Future’ Summer Supply Drive
Special to The Truth
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 chairman 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 the Education
Center Atrium on the Findlay-area Campus in Findlay.
Since establishing the program in 2004, the Owens Alumni
Association has given 2,356 backpacks and 42,661 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 alumni@owens.edu. |
