Owens Community College collecting donations for 'Backback to the Future' drive for area children

As another school year comes to an end, many students are once again placing their backpacks in storage or are discarding them entirely in anticipation of buying next fall’s latest fashion trend. Owens Community College’s Alumni Association has taken the initiative of once again organizing a gently-used backpack drive to provide new life for what many students consider their mobile lifeline to learning.

The college’s Alumni Association community service endeavor, titled “Backpack to the Future,” is accepting gently-used or new backpacks and new school supplies from area residents during the summer months. Items collected, as part of the “Backpack to the Future” program, will be given to low-income elementary school children throughout northwest Ohio.

People also can donate crayons, markers, bottles of glue, glue sticks, colored pencils, pencils, pink erasers, school boxes, pocket folders, marbled covered composition books and Kleenex tissues. Items can be dropped off at the Office of Alumni Relations at the main campus on Oregon Road in Perrysburg Township or at the Education Center Atrium on the Findlay campus.

Since establishing the program in 2004, the Owens Alumni Association has given 2,356 backpacks and 42,661 school supplies to benefit disadvantaged children throughout Northwest Ohio.

For more information, contact the Owens Alumni Relations at 567-661-7876, 1-800-GO-OWENS, ext. 7876, or alumni@owens.edu.