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United Way to Fill Backpacks for Students in Need at
Kick-Off to Caring Event
Special to The Truth
United Way of Greater
Toledo is set to fill more than 5,000 backpacks with
essential school supplies to ensure classroom success for
local students.
In Toledo, more than 70
percent of children enter kindergarten physically,
emotionally and academically unprepared. In addition to
this, 2,200 students within Toledo Public Schools are
currently homeless, while 64.8 percent qualify for free and
reduced lunch. Due to the economic circumstances of
students, many are without access to basic school supplies.
By providing these backpacks, we are able to increase the
likelihood of students attending school, being more
attentive in class and achieving higher test scores, which
also leads to higher graduation rates.
Volunteers who would like
to participate in our Kick-Off to Caring event can come to
the Huntington Center in Downtown Toledo on Thursday, July
21 between 8:00 and 9:30 a.m. Visit unitedwaytoledo.org/KOC16
to register and/or donate backpacks and supplies. “In the
past, we’ve kept our Campaign Kick-Off and Days of Caring
events separate from one another. But this year, we’re
combining the two, because students in our region
desperately need these resources to start their school year
off right,” said United Way President and CEO Karen Mathison.
This is the 98th United
Way Campaign Kick-Off and is also the very first Kick-Off
with a combined volunteer activity. This hands-on approach
is just a preview of United Way’s robust 2016 campaign.
We will also be
introducing our Campaign Chair, PNC Regional President Bill
McDonnell. “We are so excited to have Bill lead our campaign
this year. He not only brings fantastic insight and
experience to the table, but also has a great heart. We are
incredibly confident Bill will help us achieve what our
organization strives for---and that’s real, long-lasting
community change,” said Mathison. “By building these
backpacks for our community’s children, we are giving a
future to students who might otherwise be at risk of falling
behind or dropping out.”
This event is made
possible, thanks to United strong community partners: PNC,
Owens Corning, Owens-Illinois, The Andersons and The
Salvation Army. PNC will also be generously matching all
donations made to the event, up to $15,000, via PNC’s
Matching Challenge Grant.
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