Charter One Foundation and Gleaners Help Children Prepare for School

CENTERLINE, Mich. - Aug. 26, 2013 - PRLog -- On Tuesday, August 27, 2013 at 11:00am, Charter One Foundation and Gleaners Community Food Bank will hand out food donations and backpacks filled with school supplies to families in need. The one-day packing event is the culmination of Charter One Foundation's Gear for Grades school supply collection.

Macomb County Executive Mark Hackel and Sheriff Anthony Wickersham will join Charter One volunteers to hand out 200 backpacks to needy families. The backpacks will be packed earlier in the day by 50+ additional Charter One volunteers.

They include school supplies, for children 6-11 years old, collected through their Gear for Grades school supply drive. Backpacks contain: a spiral notebook, ruler, glue stick, eraser, pencils and sharpener, crayons, folders, Charter One coloring book and financial literacy information.

During distribution of backpacks, Gleaners’ mobile pantry will provide 100 families with approximately 40 pounds of fresh produce and non-perishable food items. Guests and speakers include:

• Ken Marblestone, President, Charter One, Michigan and Ohio

• DeWayne Wells, President, Gleaners Community Food Bank

• Gerald Brisson, Senior VP of Advancement, Gleaners Community Food Bank

• Mark Hackel, Macomb County Executive

• Anthony Wickersham, Macomb County Sheriff

The backpack and food distribution will take place at Rising Star Academy (23855 Lawrence Ave, Center Line, MI 48015).

The Gear for Grades program, in partnership with Gleaners Community Food Bank of Southeastern Michigan, is Charter One Foundation’s initiative to supply local children with new back-to-school supplies. The program is in conjunction with Gleaners’ Hunger Free Summer, which helps to feed hungry children during the summer when free and reduced-fee school meals are not available.

Gleaners’ Mobile Pantry is a traveling food pantry that delivers fresh food to partner agencies for people in need. A single-day’s food distribution provides approximately 14,000 pounds of food, enough for 350 families, including fresh produce and frozen meat.