For some school only just got out, for others school will be back in session before long. Being in the South it seems we always go back before everyone else. If I am not mistaken my daughter goes back the second week of August, which isn’t far at all!
When I learned about the Office Depot Foundation, I wanted to know more. I have always said I love when a company gives back. I know when my daughter was going to school, my husband and I at the time had the money to help more, so I sent a lot of extra supplies, because I new some parents would have hardship.
If you have a child you know what I am speaking of, it seems every year the school is wanting more and more supplies, and the costs can be insane.
How is one supposed to feed and support their children, when they also have to supply them with hundreds of dollars in school supplies every year. Did you also know that millions of children each year carry their things in plastic grocery bags, and they wonder why bullying in schools has become worse. If you have priced backpacks you could probably see why parents cannot afford them.
You are probably wondering where, and or how Office Depot fits into all of this,
Well, 12 years ago Mary Wong was inspired to start a program to help those children that needed the help the most, this is when the Office Depot Foundation was born. Ms. Wong is also the president for the foundation.
Over the past 11 years Ms. Wong, and others have helped provide more than 2.5 million backpacks/sackpacks to deserving children in the communities of North America as well as other communities around the world! This is awesome, if you ask me, I love seeing companies actually stop to think about our future. Our children’s education is important to us, and when they’re having to carry grocery bags with their belongings in them to school everyday, they tend to lose focus on getting the education they need, and they begin to worry about being teased and tormented.
This year marks the 12th year of the program, and they will be handing out roughly 400,000 sackpacks! This is the most the foundation has donated in a single year, these sackpacks contain a zipper pouch which has a pen, pencil, pencil sharpener, eraser, 6” ruler and four crayons inside of it.
Whether or not these numbers seem large or small to you the importance of the program is to help children who parents cannot afford to supply them with the needing school supplies, this program is not only helping children build confidence, but it’s also boosting their self esteem, which leads to better grades in the classroom.
I wish more companies would do things like this for our future. I do know what some of these kids go through, I grew up with a single mother working two jobs trying to make ends meet with not only one child, but three… With the economy being in the state it’s currently in our children need all the help they can get to feel confident going to school everyday.With confidence brings better grades, with better grades brings more kids off the streets, and to the books. This will then lead to less crime, and a better community when our children do grow up.
If you are a big company in a position to help, I urge you to do so, even if you can only afford to reach out to so many in your community. Every little bit helps, we need to build our future with confidence!
For more information about the National Backpack Program and the Office Depot Foundation be sure to follow them on facebook (http://www.facebook.com/officedepotfoundation) and twitter (http://www.twitter.com/officedepotfndn)
My family did receive a few sackpacks, I have to say they’re design will make any kid proud to be carrying them to school. They’re very well made, and I give Ms. Wong big thumbs up for her huge heart in starting a program that helps our future.
About the Office Depot Foundation
The Office Depot Foundation is an independent foundation − tax exempt under IRC Sec. 501(c)(3) − that serves as the independent charitable giving arm of Office Depot, Inc. In keeping with its mission, Listen Learn Care®, the Foundation supports a variety of programs that help children succeed in school and in life; enable civil society (non-profit) organizations to become more efficient and effective; help people and businesses prepare for disasters, then recover and rebuild afterwards; strengthen local communities through grants, product donations and volunteerism; and encourage community development through entrepreneurship and economic innovation. For more information, visit http://www.officedepotfoundation.org
All images in this post were provided to me for posting to help spread the word about the Office Depot Foundation.
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