Astoria Bank’s 15th annual Kids Tools for School collection drive is taking place throughout August to help prepare children for the start of the new school year.
The program provides more than one ton of school supplies annually to thousands of local students whose families struggle to afford such necessary items as backpacks, notebooks, markers, crayons, pens and pencils, and more, a spokeswoman said. “The program makes a difference in the many communities and neighborhoods Astoria Bank serves, and fuels excitement for the start of the school year.”
Port residents are invited to bring donations of new school supplies, or cash to purchase supplies, to the Astoria Bank branch at 110 Main Street. For information on how to donate supplies, or for branch hours, visit www.astoriabank.com.
Astoria will match up to $10,000 in cash donations to purchase additional supplies, and will distribute the supplies to more than 60 local schools, shelters and human service organizations.
“For a growing number of families facing financial hardships and other challenges, school supplies are an expense that often goes unmet, leaving children to face challenges of their own,” the spokeswoman said.
“We believe that every child deserves to be on a level playing field when they start school this year,” said Brian Edwards, executive vice president and managing director of retail banking. “Together, with generous support from our customers and others in the community, we are able to reach out to help as many children as possible and really make a difference. It’s all about giving kids a better chance to succeed and feel good about themselves.”
The Kids Tools for School collection drive is part of Astoria Bank’s Education First initiative, which includes checking and savings accounts created with students in mind and an annual Teach Children to Save financial literacy program to promote the importance of saving from a young age.
