The Berrien Community Foundation is preparing to host Backpacks for Good in August, giving away around 2,500 backpacks loaded with school supplies to students throughout Berrien County. Program Director Susan Matheny tells us there will be giveaway events in Benton Harbor, Coloma, Eau Claire, and Niles. She says the Berrien Community Foundation gets help from sponsors to put the program on.
“The only way this works is with community support, especially community dollars,” Matheny said. “Each of these events has a community sponsor or multiple sponsors. In the case of Eau Claire this year, Sheriff Paul Bailey actually reached out and connected us with community sponsors.”
In Benton Harbor, Whirlpool employees packed up 1,400 backpacks with supplies. Matheny says the items they give out are high-quality.
“We go through and vet the list of things we think should go in the backpacks with the schools that we’re working with to make sure they’re the most needed items per grade level, and then we bulk purchase.”
Matheny says the goal is to make going back to school more exciting for students. The first Backpacks for Good event will be August 1 from 5 to 8 p.m. at Dwight P. Mitchell City Center Park in downtown Benton Harbor. All students who live in the 49022 zip code qualify for a backpack.
Below is the schedule for the other giveaways:
Students Attending Eau Claire Schools: Thursday, August 3, 4 – 6 p.m. at Lybrook Elementary School parking lot. This event is open to students attending Eau Claire Public Schools, regardless of the ZIP Code in which they live.
Students Attending Brandywine or Niles Schools: Thursday, August 10, 4 – 6 p.m. at Niles High School parking lot. This event is open to students attending Brandywine Community Schools or Niles Community Schools, regardless of the ZIP Code in which they live.
Students Attending Coloma, Watervliet or Hagar #6 Schools: Thursday, August 17, 4 – 6 p.m. at Coloma High School parking lot. This event is open to students attending Watervliet Public Schools, Coloma Community Schools or Riverside Hagar #6 School, regardless of the ZIP Code in which they live.
For more information on all backpack events, go to www.berriencommunity.org/backpacksforgood.
