ATLANTA – State Representative Sharon Beasley-Teague (D-Red Oak) and the Office Depot Foundation are pleased to announce that Georgia House District 65 Schools have been chosen to receive colorful new “sackpacks” containing essential school supplies as part of the Foundation’s 2011 National Backpack Program in partnership with the National Foundation for Women Legislators (NFWL). There will be a Back to School Jam on Saturday, August 13, 2011 from 12 noon – 3:00 p.m. at Harvest Rain Church International – 51 Senoia Road, Fairburn GA 30213, where the sackpacks will be distributed.
“This is an extremely meaningful program,” said Rep. Beasley-Teague. “I am honored to have the opportunity to present these sackpacks to deserving students. As we have seen the economy fluctuate over the last year, many parents have struggled to figure out how they will be able to purchase supplies for their children. As another school year begins, public-private partnerships like this are even more important. As Georgia’s NFWL Education Team Leader, I must commend the Office Depot Foundation on its efforts to help children succeed by providing basic school supplies, which many of us take for granted.”
By the end of this year, Office Depot (NYSE: ODP) and the Office Depot Foundation will have helped more than 2.5 million children since this program began in 2001. NFWL has been partnering with the backpack program for six years and, this year, the Office Depot Foundation will provide the National Foundation for Women Legislators with more than 15,000 sackpacks for distribution by women elected officials in all 50 states.
The Office Depot Foundation will also donate sackpacks to children in partnership with the Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America, the National Court Appointed Special Advocates Association (CASA), Feed The Children, the Kids In Need Foundation, the Little Red Wagon Foundation, Samaritan’s Feet International and the Tony Stewart Foundation. These organizations focus on education, domestic abuse, national disaster relief and other vital issues and will assist in distributing sackpacks to children across the country and internationally.
“Children who are poor or abused, or families who have suffered through a natural disaster should not have to worry about the stigma of not having school supplies,” said Beasley-Teague. “This is a wonderful program and I look forward to working with the Office Depot Foundation in the future on behalf of the National Foundation for Women Legislators.”
The new 2011 drawstring-style sackpacks come in five different two-color combinations, each of which is highlighted by a unique print designed to match the color scheme. Highly contemporary in their design, they reflect and respond to changes in the ways that children are taking their materials to school. Each sackpack includes a zippered pouch containing essential back-to-school items, including a ruler, four crayons, a pen, a pencil, a pencil sharpener, and an eraser.
About the National Foundation for Women Legislators, Inc. (NFWL)
Through annual educational and networking events, the National Foundation for Women Legislators supports women legislators from all levels of governance. As a non-profit, non-partisan organization, NFWL does not take ideological positions on public policy issues, but rather serves as a forum for women legislators to be empowered through information and experience. For more information, visit www.womenlegislators.org.
About the Office Depot Foundation
The Office Depot Foundation is an independent foundation (tax exempt under IRC Sec. 501(c)(3) that serves as the independent charitable giving arm of Office Depot, Inc. In keeping with its mission, Listen Learn Care®, the Foundation supports a variety of programs that help children succeed in school and in life; enable civil society (non-profit) organizations to become more efficient and effective; help people and businesses prepare for disasters, then recover and rebuild afterwards; strengthen local communities through grants, product donations and volunteerism; and encourage community development through entrepreneurship and economic innovation. For more information, visit www.officedepotfoundation.org.
Representative Sharon Beasley-Teague represents the citizens of District 65, which includes portions of Fulton County. She was elected into the House of Representatives in 1992, and currently serves on the Games, Fish, & Parks, Reapportionment, and Ways & Means committees.
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