Back-to-school season is just around the corner, and many families in our communities are struggling to afford new school supplies.
A new backpack can make a big difference for a young child. When kids have the supplies they need, they feel prepared and confident, and they’re more likely to succeed in school.
Unfortunately, not all families can afford to buy new school supplies. According to a recent study, one in five families in every community struggles to afford basic necessities, including school supplies. This means that there are tens of thousands of children in our communities who are going to start the school year without the supplies they need.
This is a problem that we can’t ignore. We believe that every child deserves the opportunity to succeed in school, regardless of their family’s income. That’s why Ocean State Job Lot created the Buy-Give-Get backpack program to support local children in need.
Through this successful Buy-Give-Get program, working with our partners including USA Veterans and Military Support Foundation, this summer we are able to donate close to 35,000 backpacks to kids in need. Since the program’s inception, over 235,000 backpacks have been donated to children, including children of military families, across all nine states where Ocean State Job Lot stores are located in New England, New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania.
We thank you for your support.