School is back in session and our 3rd annual company-wide Back to School campaign has come to an end! Together we raised a remarkable $15,000+ to support six nonprofit partners across six cities, plus countless items and hours donated. This drive is made possible by the incredible work of our Community Engagement Councils (known simply as “Councils”), which are employee-led groups that support our local communities throughout the country.
The Columbia, MD Council volunteered with the Exchangeree: Gizmos and Gadgets Galore in support of the Education Foundation of Baltimore County Public Schools (BCPS). Together, the Council organized and sorted 996 packs of school supplies. The Exchangeree is a place for educators of BCPS to shop the shelves once a month to gather the supplies they need for their classrooms and students, free of charge!
In partnership with Operation Homefront®, the Coppell, TX Council visited three military bases to hand out 200 stainless steel water bottles and stickers to children of active-duty military families! The Coppell Council also held weekly “Snacks for Backpacks” throughout July! The fundraiser included an ice-cream truck, sweet and salty treats, and snow cones. Senior Director of Operation Homefront®, Robin Carter, shared, “We are so grateful to partners like Newrez and their support for our Back-to-School Brigade to help military children succeed this school year and ease the financial burden felt by their parents.”
The Fort Washington, PA Council hosted an onsite volunteer event where the office came together to pack 38 backpacks for the Boys and Girls Club of North Penn Valley! The Club is a long-time partner of the Fort Washington Council. Laura Betterly, Learning Center Coordinator, shared that, “Not only were there enough backpacks for all our kids, but they were high quality! The kids and parents were thrilled to pick these up! Thank you for helping our kids start the school year off on the right foot.”
Big Brothers Big Sisters® of the Upstate received 150 backpacks from the Greenville, SC Council and celebrated their partnership at local waterpark Shipwreck Cove! Employees and their families enjoyed their send off to summer before school.
The Houston Council hosted a pack to school drive which resulted in an impressive 1,824 items of school supplies benefitting nonprofit BEAR: Be A Resource to CPS Kids! The Council and volunteers headed to the BEAR warehouse where they packed backpacks for students along with notes of encouragement for the coming school year. Check out their picture below!
The Tempe Council held an on-site volunteer event for Treasures 4 Teachers®. Thirty volunteers assembled 6,099 journals and three large plastic tubs of counting blocks! Volunteer Katie St. Germaine shared, “It felt so rewarding to work on projects that would benefit local teachers and students. It was a wonderful opportunity to use my VTO and I feel like I was part of something that made a difference.”
The Tempe Council also held a school supply drive in office and donated the proceeds to Treasures 4 Teachers®. Director of Development at Treasures for 4 Teachers®, Christopher Cordes, emphasized that “access to school supplies creates an impact way beyond the ability to complete classwork and homework. It also creates a more equitable learning environment, helps teachers meeting students’ educational needs, allows teachers to focus on their jobs and not worry about how to provide for their students, and provides chances to increase the variety and breadth of the projects in the classroom.”
Treasures for Teachers® is a registered trademark of Treasures 4 Teachers. Operation Homefront® is a registered trademark of Operation Homefront, Inc. Big Brothers Big Sisters® is a registered trademark of Big Brothers Big Sisters of America. Newrez LLC and any above-mentioned companies are not affiliated.
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