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BERRIEN COUNTY — The Berrien Community Foundation is helping students get ready to learn this fall by providing over 600 backpacks filled with school supplies to students attending Niles or Brandywine schools. BCF will host Backpacks For Good, a school readiness event FROM 4 TO 6 P.M. Thursday, August 11 at Niles High School.

This event is open to students who attend Niles Community Schools or Brandywine Community Schools, regardless of the ZIP code in which they live.

“As kids get ready to head back to the classroom, we are excited to offer our annual Backpacks For Good event to help ease the financial burden back-to-school shopping may bring to families,” said Berrien Community Foundation President Lisa Cripps-Downey. “We are grateful to our partnering sponsor, the Frederick S. Upton Foundation, who is joining us to make sure students have what they need.”

In addition to the backpacks and school supplies, Feeding America of West Michigan’s Mobile Food Pantry will be on site to give away fresh food. A pop-up library, police department and other community resources will also be at the event. Families of students who attend Niles Community Schools or Brandywine Community Schools are encouraged to bring their children to the event so they can choose their backpack and visit with other community resources as well.

“Most of us remember how exciting it was to get your new backpack and supplies before school started,” said BCF Program Director Susan Matheny. “We want to make sure every child has that experience and looks forward to going back to school with all the things they need.”

The Backpacks For Good event for Niles and Brandywine school districts is in partnership with the Frederick S. Upton Foundation.

 

Backpacks For Good Events

The August 11 event in Niles is one of three Berrien Community Foundation Backpacks For Good events this year. Additional events are:

Backpacks For Good for students who live in the 49022 Zip Code is from 4 to 6 p.m. August 16 at the Boys & Girls Club of Benton Harbor Youth Campus,600 Nate Wells Sr. Drive, Benton Harbor. This event is open to students who live in the 49022 ZIP code regardless of the school they attend.

Backpacks For Good for students who attend Coloma, Watervliet or Hagar No. 6 Schools is 4too 6 p.m. Thursday, August 18 at Coloma High School (Partnering sponsor – The De Groot Family Foundation) for students who attend Coloma Community Schools, Watervliet Public Schools or Riverside Hagar No. 6 School, regardless of the ZIP code in which they live.

For more information on all backpack events, go to www.berriencommunity.org/backpacksforgood.