Support Bay County Students by Donating Backpacks and School Supplies
Bay Area Community Foundation’s Youth Advisory Committee partners with United Way to support area children
The past two school years have been a struggle for area youth. Between online learning and COVID-19 restrictions, area students are looking forward to returning to school for a normal school year. Unfortunately many students in the area will not be able to return to school with the necessary supplies to be successful. The Youth Advisory Committee (YAC) of the Bay Area Community Foundation recognizes this issue and is proud to partner with the United Way of Bay County to provide backpacks and school supplies as part of the Helen Wirt Lee Back to School program.
The Youth Advisory Committee is a group of dynamic young people (7th to 12th grade) who positively impact the youth of Bay County by identifying needs, making informed decisions, raising and distributing funds and volunteering within our community. “The Youth Advisory Council is designed to develop our next generation of community and philanthropic leaders. Through the YAC, area youth are given a unique opportunity to improve life for their peers and those who come after them. Resourced with an endowment fund of almost $2 million, participants are asked to identify the most pressing youth issues and to recommend grants to solve these challenges and improve their hometown,” said Diane Fong, Bay Area Community Foundation President and CEO.
In order to collect the necessary supplies, the YAC has organized a Back-to-School Drive that will take place on Saturday, July 31st and Sunday, August 1st from 10 am-6 pm. The drive will take place at both Bay City Meijer locations (595 N. Pine Road & 2980 Wilder Road). School buses, provided by Bay City Public Schools and Bangor Township Schools, will serve as collection points for backpacks and supplies in each store’s parking lot.
Since 2015, the YAC has awarded over $42,000 to the Helen Wirt Lee Back to School Program. “This is a program that YAC has supported for a number of years,” YAC Chair Easton Anderson explains. “When the United Way of Bay County approached us about partnering with them and taking on a more active role, it was a no-brainer.”
“We know that over 8,000 children in Bay County qualify for this program, and we want to help as many of them as possible.”, said Nicole Luczak, President/ CEO of the United Way of Bay County. To sign your child up, click here or call 989.893.7508 for more information.
To learn more about the Helen Wirt Lee Back to School Drive or to get involved with YAC, please contact BACF Program Officer Aaron Faist at 989-893-4438 or via email.
