Donating To Operation Backpack Enters Final Days
Oskaloosa School Board Members Tom Richardson (left) and Laurie Fiscella (right) help fill backpacks for area students.
Oskaloosa, IA – Operation Backpack is preparing for the 5th annual fall community backpack distribution program. This program provides backpacks and school supplies to students in need in Mahaska County. And that need is increasing. Last year, we distributed more than 500 backpacks!
In order to help meet the growing need in our community, we’re hosting a school supply drive in businesses and churches. The drive culminates on July 31st from 11AM to 1PM when the supplies will all be brought to the Hy-Vee parking lot and we’ll “Stuff the Bus”. Last year, we were blown away as box after box overflowing with supplies were piled into the bus.
There are public donation boxes as well as internal business drive boxes available from July 15 through July 31. If you would like to donate, look for boxes at Assembly of God Church, Bank Iowa, Cablevey Conveyors, Cargill, Dollar General, Evangelical Church, Fareway, First Christian Church, Hawkeye Real Estate, Imagine the Possibilities, ITW Paslode, Kids Corner Childcare, Mahaska County Outreach, Mahaska Title, Mahaska YMCA, Maple Ridge, MidWest One Bank, Musco, Oskaloosa Vision Center, Peek-a-Boo Point Childcare, SCICL, Smokey Row, St. Mary’s Catholic Church, TD&T Financial Group, United Methodist Church, United Way, Wal-Mart, William Penn University.
If you’re interested in receiving a backpack for your child, applications are available at SIEDA’s office (114 North Market). We fill eligible applications until we have exhausted our funding. Applications are due on July 31st. The applications are also available at Love INC, the Salvation Army, SEIDA and United Way, and in the Oskaloosa Herald and Shopper. Families who make less than 200% of federal poverty guidelines are welcome to apply.
We need your help! Please stop by one of the above locations to drop off supplies or you can send tax-deductible monetary donations in person or by mail to:
Operation Backpack
c/o United Way
500 High Avenue West
Oskaloosa, Iowa 52577
Volunteers will be needed to July-August to help sort supplies and prepare the backpacks. If you’d like to commit to helping ready our children to start learning on their first day of school, please contact United Way at 641-673-6043 to get involved.
Download and print a backpack application HERE.
