RANCHO CUCAMONGA, Calif. – Following a Fall 2017 campaign that provided school supplies to 1,300 students, CO-OP Financial Services said it is partnering once more with Yoobi on a Spring Backpack Bundle Drive, designed to help credit unions support schools and students in their communities.
“Consumers are looking for both social mission and innovation from their financial institutions,” said Samantha Paxson, Chief Marketing and Experience Officer for CO-OP, in a statement. “The Spring Backpack Bundle Drive enables credit unions to not only positively impact their local communities, but their contribution will be matched on the national level as well. And, now is the best time to participate: the Spring semester is when supplies and school budgets are running the lowest, and teachers are the most likely to fill the gaps.”
For every $1,500 a credit union invests in the program, the cooperative receives 50 backpacks and school supplies for students in need. Also included in the shipment will be material directing students and parents to financial literacy resources and a financial literacy kit for the recipient organization. Credit unions can then engage in staff team-building with a stuffing party for employees to assemble the backpacks with pencils, rulers, crayons and other essential supplies.
According to CO-OP, it is the credit union’s decision where to donate the backpacks – such as a local school, homeless shelters, organizations for foster kids and Big Brothers Big Sisters of America. Yoobi will donate an equal number of backpacks and supplies to the Kids in Need Foundation, who will distribute the items nationally.
CO-OP said any credit union can participate, regardless of affiliation with the company, and online sign-up is open now through March 31. Backpack orders will begin to be shipped to participating credit unions in late February.
CO-OP noted that for many students, school supplies are a luxury their families cannot afford. According to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, these supplies cost the average U.S. parent $114 per child each year. As a result, 91% of U.S. teachers purchase supplies for their classrooms with their own money. The Kids in Need Foundation reported that in 2015 teachers spent an average of $578 to help their students with supplies, CO-OP said.
The Spring Backpack Bundle Drive is part of CO-OP Purpose, a corporate social responsibility program for credit unions that provides turnkey, impactful community initiatives to help credit unions advance their mission of people helping people. Under the CO-OP Purpose umbrella, CO-OP also offers CO-OP Miracle Match, a $1 million-annually philanthropic matching program that encourages credit unions to hold fundraisers for Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals.
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