FRESNO, Calif. – Educational Employees Credit Union (EECU) is continuing its partnership with The Salvation Army by sponsoring its annual Back-to-School Backpack Program.
Through its sponsorship, EECU is helping provide hundreds of Central Valley students with backpacks filled with grade-appropriate school supplies, ensuring they begin the school year prepared, confident, and ready to learn.
The backpacks will be distributed throughout August at Back-to-School events in Fresno, Clovis, Madera, Merced, Hanford, Tulare, and Visalia. Many of the events also offer families additional resources, including meals, haircuts, and connections to community services.
“Education is at the heart of EECU’s mission and we’re proud to continue our longstanding partnership with The Salvation Army,” said EECU President and CEO Elizabeth J. Dooley. “For more than ten years, we’ve worked together to help ensure local students have the supplies they need to begin the school year prepared. When we invest in students, we’re investing in stronger families and stronger communities.”
As families continue to face rising costs for housing, food, and transportation, school supplies can place an added strain on already tight household budgets. According to The Salvation Army, as many as 82% of students qualify for free or reduced-price school meals across parts of the Central Valley, underscoring the continued need for programs that help ensure every child has the tools needed for a successful school year.
“I want to thank you for giving the backpacks and school supplies to my two kids,” said Jennifer, a local parent. “We weren’t sure what we will do as we did not have the money to purchase backpacks, notebooks, markers, and all the other items that my kids needed.”
