“A new backpack full of school supplies can have a profound impact on a child’s learning experience,” said Richard Shaw, chief development officer for Youth Villages, in a press release. “You can be a Youth Villages Backpack Hero by donating school supplies or making a financial contribution to support a child in your community at any Southern Security branch.”
The Youth Villages 2022 Backpack Heroes Program is an annual event sponsored by Southern Security. This event benefits children with a history of emotional or behavior issues or who might have experienced trauma. “We believe children do well when boundaries are removed making learning easily accessible,” added Shaw. “For many children in our care, starting school can be a challenge and a source of anxiety for families due to the costs of school supplies.”
Southern Security will donate 300 backpacks to the 2022 Youth Villages Backpack Heroes Program. In addition to monetary contributions, Southern Security and The Youth Villages 2022 Backpack Heroes Program are also seeking the donation of the following school supplies to fill the backpacks:
• Two-pocket folders
• Calculators
• Colored construction paper
• Colored pencils/markers/ballpoint pens
• Glue/sticks
• Highlighters
• Notebook dividers
• No. 2 pencils and pencil boxes
• Rulers (no metal edges)
• Thin-tipped markers
• Three-ring notebooks
• Crayons
• Wide-ruled notebook paper
• Notebooks (spiral and non-spiral)
• Large pink pearl erasers
Southern Security is a not-for-profit financial cooperative with a mission to help its members financially. For locations to drop off the donations, visit southernsecurity.org/locations/.
Youth Villages provides and advocates for family-focused services and positive change to child welfare systems.
To learn more about Youth Villages, visit their website: youthvillages.org.