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 during the summer months. Items
collected will be given to low-income elementary school children throughout Northwest Ohio.
"Owens Community College’s Alumni Association is proud to once again coordinate a program benefiting
such a worthy cause," said Kaye Koevenig, Owens service chair of the Alumni Association.
"There are many low-income families that can barely afford to pay their bills, and may not be able
to provide their children with new supplies."
In addition to the gently-used backpacks and new backpacks, individuals 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.
Bring donations to the Office of Alumni Relations to the Perrysburg Township campus and to the Enrollment
Services Office on the Findlay campus.
Since establishing the program in 2004, the Owens Alumni Association has given over 1,150 backpacks and
over 17,500 school supplies to benefit disadvantaged children throughout Northwest Ohio.
For more information call (567) 661-7876, (800) GO-OWENS, ext. 7876 or [email protected].