United Way Hosts Annual School Supply Drive

Utica, NY (WIBX) - The United Way of the Valley and Greater Utica Area is helping out kids through it's 2nd Annual Back-to-School Supply Drive.

Volunteers and Target employees worked together to stuff backpacks with everything from pencils and paper to glue and folders.

Joelle Bixby, a Target employee, and her son joined several others to stuff backpacks.

"We've actually been doing it for a couple of years, " Bixby said. "This year, we actually came to the event to do the distribution and the sorting for them."

Brenda Episcopo, Executive Director of the United Way, says this year's drive was a great success.

"We have nearly 500 pounds of school supplies, and together, we have over 125 backpacks donated," Episcopo said. "We've stuffed those backpacks, and so at least 125 kids will have backpacks full of supplies."

Supplies will be distributed to nine local programs to help families prepare their kids for the upcoming year.

Two other public distribution centers are also being set up at the Catholic Charities in Ilion and Utica.

For more information, or to pick up school supplies, contact the Catholic Charities of Madison and Oneida County at (315) 724-2158, or the Herkimer County Catholic Charities at (315) 894-9917.