FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Arrowhead Credit Union and ArrowHeart Foundation Donate Backpacks and School Supplies to Local Organizations

RANCHO CUCAMONGA, CA.—Throughout June and July, ArrowHeart Foundation hosted its annual Backpack and School Supply Collection for students in K-12 grades. With the help of Arrowhead Credit Union team member volunteers and their teen family members participating in the Summer Volunteer Program, 800 backpacks and more than 24,000 school supplies were organized and assembled for distribution to 18 organizations across California and Arizona.

“One of the main pillars of ArrowHeart Foundation, is to help support education in our communities,” said Stefanie Villalobos, Arrowhead Credit Union Vice President of Philanthropy and Community Impact and ArrowHeart Foundation, Executive Director. “We understand that a key to educational success is helping children come to their classrooms prepared with the proper supplies that will foster their learning. Our Arrowhead team really showed up this year and made it the largest backpack and school supply collection to date.”

Arrowhead team members generously donated backpacks and school supplies to support this project, ensuring students in their community have the tools they need for a successful school year.

Throughout the collection span, teen volunteers from the Summer Volunteer Program in both California and Arizona helped sort the items and fill the backpacks. They loaded each backpack with colored pencils, crayons, erasers, paper, folders, glue sticks, markers, pencil boxes/pouches, pens, rulers, sharpeners, and notebooks. Then ArrowHeart volunteers hand-delivered the backpacks to each organization.

This is the 13th year ArrowHeart Foundation has supported its communities with backpacks and school supplies. This year, six new organizations, March Air Reserve Base, Hearts and Lives, BHHS Legacy Foundation, UMOM New Day Center, A New Leaf, and Sunshine Acres, were added as backpack recipients.
Two organizations that have received backpacks as a part of this initiative for many years are Mary’s Haven in San Bernardino, California and Needles Recreation Center in Needles, California.

Mary’s Haven, formerly known as Veronica’s Home of Mercy, is a 12–24-month transitional living program for displaced women and children. In addition to providing backpacks for the resident school children, Arrowhead Credit Union Financial Coaches present monthly on money management, credit, and financial literacy.

Needles Recreation Center is for children in grades K-6. At the backpack event, the children handpicked their backpack style to match their taste and personality. This is one of two events the Credit Union supports at the Recreation Center. In December, ArrowHeart Foundation participates in their annual Santa’s Workshop event, where the children create gifts for their families and receive a special visit from Santa Claus, along with a gift to take home.

“Our community is so very blessed by the generous support of ArrowHeart. One hundred students now have a backpack that literally lasts the entire school year with enough supplies to get them through more than half the school year,” said Jennifer Valenzuela, Needles Recreation Center’s Manager. “Words cannot express our gratitude.”