Contact: David Weaver, 240-777-6530 or
Kate Harrison, 301-279-3077
For Immediate Release: August 31, 2001

NEEDY STUDENTS RECEIVE
DONATED SCHOOL SUPPLIES

Students at Broad Acres Elementary School in Silver Spring today received more than 500 donated backpacks filled with school supplies from Office Depot as part of the company’s community involvement program. Broad Acres was selected because of the high percentage of students eligible for free and reduced price meals.

“Office Depot’s generous gift to the students at Broad Acres will make a real difference to those students whose families have difficulty finding the resources to outfit them for school,” said County Executive Douglas M. Duncan.

Office Depot is also supplying such essential items as pencils, rulers, composition books and crayons.

“Office Depot is extremely excited to partner with both Montgomery County Government and Montgomery County Public Schools for the second consecutive year to contribute backpacks and school supplies to financially disadvantaged elementary students,” said Bill Morris, regional director for Office Depot. “As a corporation, we support the communities that we serve and taking care of kids is a great way to show that support. It’s our hope to be able to continue and expand that effort.”

Broad Acres is served by the “Linkages to Learning” program, one of the efforts featured in the presentation that earned Montgomery County the All-America City title in 2000. Linkages to Learning provides direct services and referrals to children and families to break down non-academic barriers to learning, i.e., linguistic and cultural differences, lack of transportation and childcare, and access to pediatric and mental health care. The program also promotes family self-sufficiency and encourages parental involvement.

Last year, Office Depot donated backpacks to students at New Hampshire Estates Elementary School in Silver Spring. The company has contracts to supply office products to the District of Columbia and most counties in Maryland and Virginia.

For more information about the Office Depot community involvement program, call Bill Morris at 1-800-890-4914.