PITTSBURGH — 11 Cares is helping kids go back to school with everything they need. A Pack The Bus event was held at Staples locations throughout Pittsburgh on Saturday morning.
As many as 69,000 students in need are served by The Education Partnership and this is its biggest fundraiser of the year. Saturday, dozens came out to donate.
SEE PHOTOS FROM THE EVENT HERE!
Pencils, pens and paper are standard when it comes to shopping for back-to-school, but not everyone is able to provide the necessities and that’s where The Education Partnership steps in.
“We pride ourselves on being the only year-round free school supply distributor, which means that we are collecting and giving away school supplies 12 months a year,” said Executive Director Josh Whiteside.
Ross Township neighbor Carole Markus stopped by Thursday during donation drop-off in the Staples parking lot. The Pack the Bus event is something she contributes to yearly.
“I’ve had this bag ready to go for a long time. So it’s a great cause, I think whoever came up with the idea was just brilliant, and evidently it’s really been a successful thing,” said Markus.
“It’s one of our core principles so this was a no-brainer for us,” said Brad Trust.
Trust is a Partner at Edgar Snyder & Associates. This is the inaugural year of their partnership.
“Our firm is really honored and happy to participate in this program and give back to the community,” Trust said.
Other corporations stepping up to the plate to help include Duquesne Light Company, Highmark Wholecare, 84 Lumber and Clearview Federal Credit Union.
“The only way that we’re gonna reach these folks is if we pull our resources together and help,” said Lisa Florian, the President and CEO of Clearview Federal Credit Union.
If you weren’t able to donate today you still have some time. All Pittsburgh branches of the Clearview Federal Credit Union will be accepting supplies through the end of this month.
Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts.
Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW