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Huntington Bank, United Way fill bus with school supplies
By Denise Dick
YOUNGSTOWN
About 1,000 Mahoning and Shenango Valley students will get backpacks and school supplies through a collaboration among Huntington Bank, the United Way of Youngstown and the Mahoning Valley, United Way of Trumbull County, 21 WFMJ-TV and Great Clips.
“We are committed to helping the community and doing the right thing,” said William Shivers, president of Huntington’s Mahoning Valley region.
Officials from the various entities filled a school bus Wednesday morning with backpacks donated by the bank at a Stuff the Bus event. From there, the backpacks headed to United Way offices to be filled with school supplies and distributed.
Great Clips donated more than $1,500 toward the school supplies, collected from customers who received a discount on their next service and a Cocca’s Pizza pepperoni roll for a contribution.
Bob Hannon, president of the United Way of Youngstown and the Mahoning Valley, said that donation will be leveraged with the United Way’s corporate partners to secure more donations for supplies.
“Huntington Bank is leading the way with the backpacks,” Hannon said.
The backpacks will be distributed at Youngstown’s Williamson Elementary School and schools in Campbell, Boardman and Girard, he said.
Because of publicity through WFMJ, people know about the program and some parents call United Way offices, requesting the backpacks for their children, Hannon said.
About 25 of the items will be distributed from the office to those parents, he said.
Shivers said the bank works with partner agencies to identify schools where children have the most need.
The bank began its backpack donations in 2007. This year, it’s donating 13,000 backpacks that it, Meijer stores and Guy Brown, an office supply and product store, donated.
Huntington Bank issues an annual Backpack Index, listing school supplies costs. This year’s reports $3,000 as the combined cost for families with children in elementary, middle and high schools.
That can be a financial hardship, the bank president said.
“I grew up as one of 11,” Shivers said. “We didn’t have a lot.”