Operation Backpack comes to Avon

For the 12th year in a row, Volunteers of America Ohio and Indiana has partnered with Channel 19 in Cleveland to collect school supplies for children in need.

Known as Operation Backpack, the donation drive took place Aug. 3 at Levin Furniture, 1801 Nagel Road in Avon.

From 3 p.m. until 6:30 p.m., the Levin parking lot was a parade of cars full of spare school supplies to go to Operation Backpack.

The Northeast Ohio community came out in full force for the donation event, according to Becky Carlino, vice president of development for Volunteers of America Ohio and Indiana.

“This is one of our favorite locations at Levin, because the community really does turn out and show up,” Carlino said. “They’ll be driving up all evening with donations, and even people that come here to shop, they help; they just want to make sure that families and kids are ready for the school year.”

Carlino said the help Operation Backpack receives from across the Greater Cleveland area is a huge help for families.

Should the group receive enough donations, the plan is to stretch the supplies all the way across Northeast Ohio and into Sandusky.

“Everybody wants to know, how many kids do we help,” Carlino said. “You can count in numbers of backpacks if you want to, like (if) we collected a thousand backpacks, so that could be 1,000 kids.

“But, we also collected 6,000 boxes of pencils.”

Some community members are willing to go above and beyond for the cause, Carlino said.

Specifically, she mentioned Jennifer Dolansky, of Grafton, who saved up supplies for about a month before donating them at the Avon location.

Still, any little bit helps, Carlino said.

Those who are unable to give supplies are more than welcome to donate to the cause, she said.

“(The kids) are so excited,” Carlino said. “Their joy and excitement probably (overshadows) our own on our first day of school.

“Just that moment where you get all your new stuff; they get to have that moment, too, so it’s personally gratifying.”

As local school systems continue to come out of the coronavirus pandemic, Carlino said the donation drive has become perhaps even more important.

For those dealing with school fees or transportation issues, Operation Backpack can help take at least one expense off their plate, she said.

“Operation Backpack is just as critical as it was pre-pandemic, if not more so now,” Carlino said. “People are still trying to balance budgets (and) the economy.

“School fees are going up, loss of bussing, whatever it is, we’re still in it. We’re still coming out of it.”

Those looking to donate to Operation Backpack can do so on the Amazon wishlist at www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/15TB56QSP5GTZ/ref=hz_ls_biz_ex?.

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