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Security Services Federal Credit Union (FCU) donated $6,000 to The Salvation Army Salt Lake City in support of the “Pack the Pods” school supply event with radio station 97.1 ZHT. The Aug. 9 event held raised $6,000 in cash and gathered thousands of school supplies for kids in need.
The Granite Education Foundation estimates that just over three of every five students among the 68,000 students in the school district that they serve struggle to obtain needed school supplies.
“The needs within our community are astounding,” said Captain Rob Lawler, Salvation Army Salt Lake Basin Coordinator. “We believe that when kids have the proper tools they will be more successful in school. We appreciate the financial support of Security Services Federal Credit Union and their members in this great cause.”
The next day, Aug. 10, The Salvation Army Salt Lake City Corps hosted its annual “Back-To-School Bash,” a community block party for families where 350 elementary school children received a backpack full of donated school supplies—notebooks, crayons, glue sticks, rulers, colored markers, pens and pencil boxes.
“No family should have to choose between utilities, medication and school supplies, yet many are forced to do this,” Lawler said. “The Salvation Army’s hope is that they can free low-income families from spending money on school supplies so they can use it to fulfill other essential needs.”
The school supplies came from private contributions and donations from Granite Education Foundation, Smith’s Food & Drug Stores, Sizzling Platter, Little Caesars and BEEYond Insurance Agency.
Security Services FCU, which operates 70 service centers in Utah, Colorado and Texas, also donated over $6,000 to The Salvation Army in El Paso County (Colorado) for its back-to-school drive.
With reporting by Mike Dale
