LONG BEACH, Calif.– LBS Financial Credit Union partnered with three local school districts this summer to collect school supplies for the 2015-2016 school year. The Credit union worked with ABC Unified School District, Bellflower Unified School District and Long Beach Unified School District for its fifth annual Adopt-a-School Program to select a school and identify specific needs for each school.
The program was promoted during summer months at all of its six branch locations, via marketing materials, newspaper advertisements, Facebook pages, and on the website to encourage members and employees to make donations. All of the items donated were delivered to the selected schools in the first couple weeks of the school year.
In addition to the donations from members and the public, the CU promoted the program internally to its employees and collected over $1,300. LBS Financial matched these donations dollar for dollar in addition to other funds provided by the Credit Union. At the end of the summer, the Credit Union had over five thousand dollars to spend supplementing supplies for the three schools selected.
The school accepted the donations in an assembly with all of the students a Friday morning. The donation included a new Canon Wireless Laser Printer for the school, 10,000 sheets of copy paper, 2,160 sheets of filler paper, over 600 pencils, $500 in gift cards for student incentive programs, almost 500 glue sticks, 280 packages of sticky notes, over 400 highlighters, among quantities of items like pencil sharpeners, composition books, markers and more. The Credit Union also worked with Stevenson to develop 780 custom folders with the school schedule and other specific information for the students to be delivered in early October.
Two local Long Beach businesses, Z-Ultimate Self Defense Studio in Long Beach and Lighting Design Alliance, partnered with LBS Financial this year to contribute their own school supply donations to benefit Stevenson. Z-Ultimate donated two large bags containing a variety of school supplies and Lighting Design Alliance donated 60 three ring binders.
The CU also worked directly with the superintendent’s office to create a wish list with Las Flores Home Education Independent Study Academy being the selected school for the District. Las Flores is a school focused on supporting home schooling families.
LBS Financial delivered school supplies to Las Flores and students from the school greeted LBS Financial in their auditorium for the delivery and tried to guess what items were in the boxes being delivered. The delivery included 10,000 sheets of copy paper, 1,200 antibacterial wipes, 840 sheets of notebook paper, over 700 crayons, 600 pencils, 280 sticky notes, 252 colored pencils, 480 highlighters, 80 composition books, among quantities of items like tissue, 3-ring binders, glue sticks and more.
"This donation of supplies will not only immediately help our students in their academic studies, but will help build a lasting foundation of skills so they can become successful, life-long learners,” said Las Flores’ Program Administrator Tami Zylla. “It will also help develop and establish in them a sense of community awareness and participation, which is essential in maintaining a viable and vibrant community with opportunities for all."
ABC Unified School District
The Credit Union partnered with Ann Griffo, coordinator of school & community partnerships for ABC Unified School District to select Carmenita Middle School as the 2015 recipient of donations. Kester Song, principal of Juarez, provided a wish list for the school that included items for their classrooms and school supplies.One of the items on the school’s wish list was special signage for their school fences. Two corners of the school were not easily identifiable from the street and the Credit Union purchased “Put-in Cups” to add to the two chain link fences to give them signage on all corners.
The final donation delivered on September 18, 2015 included 10,000 sheets of copy paper, over 2,100 sheets of filler paper, hundreds of dollars in gift cards to Subway and local movie theaters for student incentives, 2,000 sheets of graph paper, 600 pencils, 270 glue sticks, 240 colored pencils, almost 500 highlighters, among quantities of items like composition books, 3-ring binders, calculators and more.
“As a result of LBS Financial's assistance, our school has improved our presence in the community; and many students will benefit from their generous donation of school supplies,” said Principal of Carmenita Middle School, Kester Song. “As you so prominently proclaim in your logo, LBS has clearly added value to our neighborhood!"