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Office Depot Foundation, Samaritan's Feet International Team Up to Help 40,000 Children Succeed in School
'Back to Basics Initiative' provides new shoes and sackpacks to kids in the U.S. and internationally
Office Depot Foundation, Samaritan's Feet International Team Up to Help 40,000 Children Succeed in School
'Back to Basics Initiative' provides new shoes and sackpacks to kids in the U.S. and internationally
Published 08-25-11
Submitted by Listen Learn Care Foundation
A child in Davidson, N.C., proudly shows off her new shoes and sackpack.One sackpack and one pair of shoes at a time, the Office Depot Foundation and Samaritan’s Feet International are bringing hope to 40,000 kids across the United States during back-to-school season.
To launch this new partnership, the Foundation - the independent, non-profit charitable giving arm of Office Depot® (NYSE:ODP) - donated 40,000 of its colorful new sackpacks to Samaritan’s Feet, the humanitarian aid organization that shares a message of hope and love through washing the feet of deserving children and providing them with new shoes.
Samaritan’s Feet, in turn, is distributing the sackpacks - which contain essential school supplies – along with new shoes and socks through a series of “Back to Basics Initiative” events throughout the U.S. Since July 4, Samaritan’s Feet has orchestrated 38 donation events in 34 communities.
“We are exceptionally pleased to partner with Samaritan’s Feet to assist children throughout the United States and beyond,” says Office Depot Foundation President Mary Wong. “Our mission is to help kids succeed not only in school, but also in life. We welcome this exciting new opportunity to make a profound difference.”
The Foundation’s donations to Samaritan’s Feet are part of its award-winning National Backpack Program, through which it will donate 350,000 sackpacks across the United States and internationally this year. Since the inception of the program in 2001, Office Depot and the Office Depot Foundation have provided more than 2.5 million backpacks and sackpacks to children.
“Serving children and families in need is a great opportunity to bring hope and encouragement to those who are struggling financially,” says Manny Ohonme, founder, president and CEO of Samaritan’s Feet. “We are profoundly grateful for this tremendous gift from the Office Depot Foundation as well as to the dedicated volunteers who donate their time and energy to give back to those in need in their communities.”
In the months ahead, Samaritan’s Feet will distribute up to 20,000 additional Office Depot Foundation sackpacks in Kenya, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Guatemala, Honduras and other countries.
About the Office Depot Foundation
The Office Depot Foundation is an independent foundation (tax exempt under IRC Sec. 501(c)(3)) that serves as the independent charitable giving arm of Office Depot, Inc. In keeping with its mission, Listen Learn Care®, the Foundation supports a variety of programs that help children succeed in school and in life; enable civil society (non-profit) organizations to become more efficient and effective; help people and businesses prepare for disasters, then recover and rebuild afterwards; strengthen local communities through grants, product donations and volunteerism; and encourage community development through entrepreneurship and economic innovation. For more information, visit www.officedepotfoundation.org.
About Samaritan’s Feet International
Samaritan’s Feet is a 501(c)(3) humanitarian aid organization that is seeking to provide 10 million pairs of shoes for 10 million impoverished children in the next 10 years. Since 2003, Samaritan’s Feet and its team of 70,000 ambassadors have blessed nearly 3.5 million children in over 62 nations. Started in 2003 by Manny Ohonme, who received his first pair of shoes at the age of 9 from a missionary, Samaritan’s Feet is headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., and has facilities in Indianapolis, Washington, D.C., San Bernardino, Calif., as well as South Africa, Nigeria, Brazil and Peru. To learn more, visit www.samaritansfeet.org.
Listen Learn Care Foundation
Listen Learn Care Foundation
Compassionate. Creative. Committed.
As an independent, non-profit foundation, the Listen Learn Care Foundation (formerly the Office Depot Foundation) strives to make a difference to children, families and communities across the United States and around the world. In keeping with its mission, Listen Learn Care®, the Foundation supports a variety of programs that:
- Give children tools to succeed in school and in life
- Build the capacity of nonprofit organizations through collaboration and innovation
- Help communities prepare for disasters, as well as recovering and rebuilding afterwards
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