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(Photo provided by the Milwaukee Public Schools Foundation)
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The sixth annual No Empty Backpacks School Supplies Drive raised a record-breaking $57,821.75, more than doubling their previous high of $25,000. Considering the growing needs of Milwaukee families during the pandemic, the MPS Foundation and their partners set out to raise double anything they’ve raised before. Due to the generosity of the Milwaukee community, including a $30,000 donation from Educators Credit Union, they exceeded that goal.
“We are always looking for ways to support education in our community. We believe it is vital to the success of Wisconsin,” said Shannon Huot, Chief Experience Officer, Educators Credit Union. “When we learned of the growing need this year, we were honored to step in and help.”
The money raised will give students a backpack full of supplies including notebooks, calculators, pencils, highlighters and more. Donations have already begun to be distributed to MPS schools and will continue over the next couple of weeks.
“This effort is about dignity for our students,” said Wendell Willis, Executive Director, MPS Foundation. “No student in our community should have to be uncertain of having essential school supplies. This also helps alleviate the financial burden many teachers take on for their classrooms. I’m encouraged and grateful that the Milwaukee community stepped forward to answer this need.”
No Empty Backpacks is a full-circle community effort led by MPS Foundation, 88Nine Radio Milwaukee, and Milwaukee Business Journal. Best Ed, a local supply company, allows for donations to be purchased digitally. In addition, backpacks are being packed by individuals from Milwaukee’s blindness community at Beyond Vision.
Below you will find a list of schools that will benefit from this year’s drive:
- Hayes Bilingual School
- Longfellow Elementary
- Riley Dual Language Montessori
- Fifty-third Street School
- Milwaukee Academy of Chinese Language
- Townsend Street School
- Hampton Elementary School
- River Trail Elementary
- Goodrich Elementary
- Maple Tree Elementary
- Bruce Elementary
- Humboldt Park School
- Gaenslen Elementary
- Hartford University School
- Wisconsin Conservatory of Lifelong Learning
- Holmes Elementary
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