School may be out for summer, but United Way of Cass-Clay is already looking forward to the next academic year by kicking off its annual school supply drive.
Tiffany McShane is senior director of community engagement. She says they are aiming to fill 6,000 backpacks full of supplies to distribute to students in need throughout the area. She says extra backpacks not distributed at the handout in July are always given out by the Christmas season, so every backpack is put to good use. This is the 26th annual school supply drive hosted by United Way of Cass-Clay.
"Over the course of the last 26 years, over 100,000 backpacks have gone out to kids in need in our community. The need is growing, the need is here, and it's not always the typical family that you would think is coming to the drive. Oftentimes when we're at distribution, we're talking to families that have never needed this before. Maybe they lost a job, or they had a medical or health crisis that they've come up with. And so knowing that we have this resource for families in need when they need them is so important to our community and our kids."
Community members are encouraged to drop off backpacks and school supplies at various locations throughout the Fargo-Moorhead area, or give a financial gift directly to the United Way of Cass-Clay. McShane says one $20 donation will give a fully-filled backpack to a student in need.