Thumbs up to Citizens Bank for a great idea. We will be sure to drop off a donation next time we are in the grocery stores.
From the BCCT:
Helping kids gear up for school
By: JOAN HELLYER
Bucks County Courier Times
Area Citizens Bank branches are collecting pencils, pens, crayons, glue sticks, plastic rulers and other school supplies.
The new school year begins for most local kids in about six weeks, and Citizens Bank wants to make sure low-income students arrive on the first day with new backpacks and supplies.
"We want the kids to be excited about going back to school, develop a love of learning and enjoy going to school each day," said Daniel Fitzpatrick, president and CEO of Citizens Bank for Eastern Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware.
To get that excitement going, the bank is staging its annual "Gear for Grades" initiative at area branches, bank officials said.
This is the fifth year the branches are collecting donated school supplies, including pencils, pens, crayons, glue sticks, plastic rulers, erasers, safety scissors and spiral notebooks. The supplies will be stuffed into the logo-less backpacks purchased by Citizens Bank, Fitzpatrick said.
The drop-off sites include several area branches in area Acme and Giant stores that have school supply sections, the bank president said.
The setup makes it very easy for store customers to buy some supplies and then drop them off at the bank branch, Fitzpatrick said.
Once the collection drive ends Aug. 2, the branches will stuff whatever they have collected into the backpacks, he said. They'll then give the completed packages to local relief agencies, which will distribute the backpacks to students in need.
