The people of Bay County have once again proved that in time of need, they can step up and make things happen.
Each year, hundreds of children in Bay County go back to school without new school clothes, and many wear flip flops well into the winter months because their families cannot afford to purchase shoes and clothing for back to school.
This year, the number of children who applied and qualified for the Back to School Clothing Program was up another 8% from last year, totaling 1,342 kids out of 607 families in Bay County. The Back to School Clothing Program provides an entire outfit, undergarments, and shoes for these youth.
The United Way is pleased to announce that ALL 1,342 children have been sponsored and will return to school next week with new clothing. We did this with the help of nearly 50 volunteers and over 130 donors (businesses, organizations, & individuals). In addition to helping so many kids, this program was a major boost to our economy with at least $75,000 spent at local stores in Bay County.
Special thanks to the our major donors, including: Dr. Robert and Helen Lee, Bay Area Community Foundation, Steve and Dena Wirt, Graff Chevrolet, Labadie Auto, Hagen Ford, Gary Bosco, Johnny Burke’s Children Foundation, Joann Brennan, August and Jamie Hurt, Women’s Philanthropy, and MAU Michigan Association. United Way also thanks all other individuals, businesses, and organizations for all of their generous donations that made this a record year for distribution. Volunteering is about giving, contributing, and helping other individuals and the community at large. We would also like to thank all of the volunteers who shopped, organized, distributed clothes, and worked many hours to make this program a success.