In Columbus, we are collecting donations and school supplies to benefit Volutneers of America and the Van Buren Shelter. Any monetary donations collected on this page will be used to purchase school supplies following the close of our drive on August 9th.

If you'd like to drop off school supply donations, you can do that too, by visiting our branch at:

735 Ceramic Place

Columbus, OH 43081

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Every year, summer seems to go by faster and faster and before you know it, back to school season quickly approaches. While for many kids and families this time of year sparks excitement, for others it can bring financial strain, worry, or even the inability to purchase supplies needed. At UHM, we believe it's important for kids to start the school year off right with the confidence that they can not only be successful, but that they are also beginning the race from the same starting line as their peers. That is why, we are so excited to announce that our annual back-to-school supply drive, the Partner Backpack Project, is returning from Monday, July 26-  Monday, August 9. Last year, in total, UHM collected over 1,000 backpacks filled with supplies. This year, we hope to fill at least 1,500 backpacks with just over 50 branches participating across the US, all benefitting local nonprofits and schools in their area.

HOW TO PARTICIPATE:

• Shop for school supplies and drop off your donations to your local participating branch - check out our About page for a full list of participating locations and beneficiaries

• Or, make a tax deductible donation directly to your branch's team page and we'll purchase supplies on your behalf.

• If you DO NOT live around one of our participating branches, we encourage you to still consider looking for drives happening in and around your area and contributing. Need help finding a recipient? Our team can do some research for you, just get in touch with us as soon as you can!

At the UHM Foundation, our goal is to equip families with the tools and resources to achieve economic self-sufficiency. We believe one of the main building blocks to this is through education, and that starts early. We hope through this campaign that we can help ease the burden just a little bit for families in our communities, so that kids can start the school year focusing on what truly matters and make the most out of their education for their current and future selves! We hope you’ll join us! If you have any questions, please reach out to our team by emailing contact@uhmfoundation.org!