CO-OP Financial Services on Thursday issued a call for credit unions across the country to participate in a backpack drive now through Sept. 30.
CO-OP is partnering with school supply company Yoobi in offering credit unions an opportunity to receive a shipment of backpacks, school supplies and financial literacy resources to help children in their local communities.
Any credit union can participate, regardless of affiliation with CO-OP, and
For every $1,500 a credit union invests in the program, the cooperative receives 50 backpacks for students in need, along with school supplies for 50 children. Also included in the shipment will be material directing students and parents to financial literacy resources and a financial literacy kit for the recipient organization.
The National Credit Union Foundation and Money Mammals are partnering with CO-OP to provide the financial literacy kits.
CO-OP said credit unions can engage in staff team-building with a stuffing party for employees to assemble the backpacks, which can be delivered to schools, shelters or other organizations that serve children in their community.
In addition to the local backpack drives, for every backpack and supply set the credit union movement orders as part of the CO-OP program, Yoobi has pledged to donate an equal number of items to high-need elementary schools across the U.S. through the Kids in Need Foundation.
“Consumers are looking for both social mission and innovation from their financial institutions,” Todd Clark, president and CEO of CO-OP, said in a statement. “The Credit Union-Yoobi Back-to-School Backpack Drive enables credit unions to not only positively impact their communities, but make an impact nationally as well. It has been reported often that teachers may spend $500 per year out of their own pockets on school supplies. This program gives credit unions a unique way to address a chronic problem in education.”

The Credit Union-Yoobi Back to School Backpack Drive is part of CO-OP Purpose, a corporate social responsibility program for credit unions that provides turnkey, impactful community initiatives to help credit unions advance their mission of people helping people. Under the CO-OP Purpose umbrella, CO-OP also offers CO-OP Miracle Match, a $1 million-annually philanthropic matching program that encourages credit unions to hold fundraisers for Children's Miracle Network Hospitals.