Collaborative Efforts Facilitated by Feed the Children
HOUSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 14, 2015--
When 11 inches of rain drenched the Greater Houston area over Memorial
Day weekend, more than 12,000 homes and businesses were damaged – and
countless children and families were affected.
To help some of these children start the new school year on the right
foot, the Office
Depot Foundation donated 2,000 colorful new sackpacks containing
essential school supplies to the Greater Houston Storm Recovery Network
– a collaboration of nonprofit, faith-based, local, state and national
organizations that are working together to share information and
resources to assist with recovery and rebuilding. The Foundation – the
independent charitable giving arm of Office Depot®
(NASDAQ:ODP) – announced the donations during a special Back-to-School
Celebration at a Houston Office Depot store.
The Greater Houston Storm Recovery Network will distribute the sackpacks
to children living in neighborhoods that were affected by the flooding.
“These new sackpacks and the supplies they contain will be a valuable
resource for children and families who are still feeling the impact of
the floods,” said Lynae Novominsky, Vice-Chair of the Network and
Volunteer Services Coordinator for Jewish Family Service of Houston.
“Based upon past experience, recovery of many of these residents is
expected to take from nine to 18 months, if not more.”
The Office Depot Foundation is making the donations during the 15th
year of its award-winning National Backpack Program. By the end of this
year, Office Depot and the Office Depot Foundation will have given away
more than 3.7 million backpacks and sackpacks since the National
Backpack Program began in 2001. In total, the Foundation donated 5,000
sackpacks to Houston-area schools, nonprofit organizations and
government agencies this week.
“We believe that every child should have the opportunity to go to school
with dignity and hope,” said Office Depot Foundation President Mary
Wong. “These sackpacks and school supplies help to level the playing
field.
“At the same time, this donation supports the Office Depot Foundation’s
commitment to helping communities recover and rebuild after natural
disasters,” Wong continued. “We are proud to support the work of the
Greater Houston Storm Recovery Network as it continues to help residents
of this community get back on their feet.”
The Office Depot Foundation also is supporting recovery and rebuilding
efforts in Houston through its sponsorship of the National Disaster Help
Desk for Business, a 24-hour toll-free hotline managed by the U.S.
Chamber of Commerce Foundation’s Center for Corporate Citizenship.
Businesses and nonprofit organizations can access resources and expert
guidance by calling 1-888-MY-BIZ-HELP or (888) 692-4943.
The collaboration between the Office Depot Foundation and the Greater
Houston Storm Recovery Network was suggested by Feed the Children, an
Oklahoma City-based nonprofit organization that worked with numerous
agencies in the Houston area to provide relief following the floods. “At
Feed the Children we believe in championing partnerships,” said Travis
Arnold, Interim President and CEO. “We know that when we unite together
with other nonprofits we will have a greater impact. That is why we were
excited to connect the Office Depot Foundation with the Greater Houston
Storm Recovery Network and help serve these families that were impacted
by the flooding.”
More information about the National Backpack Program can be found on the
Office Depot Foundation’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/officedepotfoundation.
To learn more about the Office Depot Foundation and its initiatives, go
to www.officedepotfoundation.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 give children tools to succeed in school and in life; build the
capacity of nonprofit organizations through collaboration and
innovation; and help communities prepare for disasters, as well as
recovering and rebuilding afterwards. For more information, visit www.officedepotfoundation.org.
About the Greater Houston Storm Recovery Network
The Greater Houston Storm Recovery Network (the "Network") is a
collaborative of local 501(c)(3) agencies formed as a Long-Term Recovery
Committee in response to the Memorial Day flooding in the Greater
Houston area. The Network is pleased that it is able to start its
distribution of early donations to help children start the school year
off with supplies and uniforms and will be providing more resources to
those families in need via its case management agencies. For more
information about how to receive services, volunteer or donate, visit www.houstonfloodrecovery.org.
About Feed the Children
Feed the Children believes that it can create a world where no child
goes to bed hungry. Since 1979, Feed the Children has grown into one of
the largest U.S.-based charities. It is accredited by GuideStar Exchange
and the BBB Wise Giving Alliance, maintain a 3-star rating from Charity
Navigator, and is also a member of InterAction. Through its network
agencies, Feed the Children distributed over $344 million in food, other
necessities, educational supplies and medicine, impacting close to nine
million individuals in the U.S. and over 4.9 million individuals
globally, in fiscal year 2014.
IMAGES AVAILABLE ON REQUEST
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Source: Office Depot Foundation
Office Depot Foundation
Leon Rubin, 561-251-8075 (mobile)
lrubin@jkggroup.com
