Tufts FOCUS student volunteers help unload and organize backpacks donated by United Stationers Charitable Foundation for the Back to School Backpack distribution event at the East Somerville Community School in late August.

East Somerville Community School (ESCS) students began the 2014-2015 school year sporting new backpacks filled with school supplies, courtesy of United Stationers Charitable Foundation. Currently in its fourth year supporting the Back to School Backpack program, United Stationers Charitable Foundation donated a backpack for each of the more than 650 students at the ESCS, in its first year supporting the Somerville Public Schools.

“We are incredibly grateful to United Stationers for their generosity and their enthusiasm in helping students at the East Somerville Community School start off the school year ready to learn. Not only does their support provide essential resources to our students, it also sends a very clear message to our students about the importance of making a positive difference in other people’s lives,” stated Superintendent Tony Pierantozzi. “We also very much appreciate the volunteer support of Tufts’ FOCUS students during the backpack distribution event. Once again, our students got to see first-hand what it means to work together, as a community, to support one another.”

Six associates from United Stationers, Inc. – Ram Yuvakumar, Mark Olson, Ian Arnold, Cat Diaz, Gladys Arellano, and Steve Rossetti – and 10 volunteers from Tufts University’s FOCUS group distributed the backpacks to students during a special backpack distribution event held at the school in late August. Backpacks were filled with school supplies such as erasers, crayons, pencils, pencil box, pens, notebooks, and other items. Approximately 35 local United Stationers Associates used their own time during work breaks or before/after scheduled work hours, to help fill backpacks with the school supplies and get them ready for the distribution event.

A group of Tufts University FOCUS (Freshman Orientation CommUnity Service) students were on hand during the backpack distribution event, helping unload, organize and distribute the backpacks. FOCUS is a pre-orientation program for incoming Tufts University students that introduces freshmen to their first-year peers, while providing them with the opportunity to explore their local communities through community service projects.

The focus of the United Stationers Charitable Foundation is to generate funds to support the Back to School Backpack and other charitable programs through events with company Associates, then give back locally. This year, United Stationers Inc., an office/stationeries wholesale distributor based in Woburn, Massachusetts, will provide more than 40,000 backpacks nationwide. For more information about United Stationers, Inc.’s Charitable Foundation, visit http://www.unitedstationers.com/GivingBack.aspx. To learn more about Tufts FOCUS group, visit http://tuftsfocus.org/.

The Back to School Backpack distribution event was held at the East Somerville Community School in late August. Every ESCS student received a free backpacked filled with school supplies, courtesy of United Stationers Charitable Foundation.