School supplies can add up to a small fortune spent before the school year begins, so Cradles to Crayons is stuffing 30,000 backpacks with school supplies for kids.
More than 16 million kids in the United States live in poverty, according to the National Center for Children in Poverty, and families often spend over $600 on school supplies.
A total of 500 corporate volunteers are stepping up through Cradles to Crayons and United Way of Greater Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey to help these kids by stuffing backpacks as part of the 2017 Backpack-A-Thon.
The volunteers will be joined by President and CEO of United Way of Greater Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey Jim Cawley, Executive Director of Cradles to Crayons Michal Smith, Community Relations Director of the Philadelphia Eagles Julie Hirshey, President of Citizens Bank of Philadelphia, New Jersey and Delaware Dan Fitzpatrick, Senior Director of U.S. Financial Controller Anthony Villiano and Chief Education Officer of the city of Philadelphia Otis Hackney.
The event will take place Thursday at the SCA Club and Suite Level of the Lincoln Financial Field from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.
The school-supplies filled backpacks will be donated to kids who come from low-income backgrounds in our region.
