The ODP Corporation (NASDAQ:ODP), a leading provider of products and services through an integrated business-to-business (B2B) distribution platform and omnichannel presence, today announced that over $2.5 million worth of educational supplies and equipment will be provided to students and teachers of Title I elementary schools across the country as a result of The ODP Corporation’s philanthropic program Start Proud!® and the generosity of our many vendor partners, including Boise Paper, Domtar and Crayola®.
Celebrating the sixth anniversary of the program, associate volunteers from The ODP Corporation—including Office Depot, ODP Business Solutions and VEYER—assembled 18,000 premium backpacks filled with over $2 million worth of school supplies—like notebooks, composition books, pencils, highlighters and more—to provide to students at nearly 30 Title I schools nationwide. Each backpack includes a box of Crayola® crayons as part of a donation valued at $50,000 from Crayola® to the Start Proud!® program.
The second portion of Start Proud!® kicks off in late September through October with a series of Title I teacher shopping sprees. With support from Domtar and Boise Paper, each school will also receive $20,000 in-store credit at Office Depot OfficeMax to benefit teachers by helping them with critical classroom essentials. This benefit helps alleviate the out-of-pocket purchases made by teachers, averaging $750–$1,000 each school year.1,2
“Caring for the communities in which we live and work is a huge component of our culture, which we’re demonstrating by supporting students, families and teachers each year,” said Gerry Smith, chief executive officer for The ODP Corporation. “As high inflation continues to impact families and teachers across the nation, our steadfast commitment to Start Proud!® enables students to start this school year confident, prepared and proud.”
The backpacks will be distributed at Start Proud!® signature on-campus school pep rallies throughout August and September, where school administrators, teachers and The ODP Corporation associates are teaming up to host the celebratory events, unveil the donations and welcome students back to school during their first week. Eighteen exemplary teachers will also be selected by their principals and surprised with an All-Star Teacher award in recognition of their dedication to education and extraordinary contributions to the students beyond the classroom. Each All-Star Teacher will be surprised with products including new technology, furniture and teaching supplies valued at over $2,000.
The continued commitment to leading philanthropic initiatives like Start Proud!® demonstrates The ODP Corporation’s dedication to supporting families and teachers nationwide.
1 Source: AdoptAClassroom.org, Teachers Spend $745 a Year on Supplies: The Cost of Distance Learning, June 15, 2020.
2 Source: NewsDirect, Teachers Spending More Out of Pocket on School Supplies Than Ever Before, August 18, 2021.
About The ODP Corporation
The ODP Corporation (NASDAQ:ODP) is a leading provider of products and services through an integrated business-to-business (B2B) distribution platform and omnichannel presence, which includes world-class supply chain and distribution operations, dedicated sales professionals, a B2B digital procurement solution, online presence and a network of Office Depot and OfficeMax retail stores. Through its operating companies Office Depot, LLC; ODP Business Solutions, LLC; Veyer, LLC; and Varis, Inc., The ODP Corporation empowers every business, professional, and consumer to achieve more every day. For more information, visit theodpcorp.com.
ODP and ODP Business Solutions are trademarks of ODP Business Solutions, LLC. Office Depot is a trademark of The Office Club, LLC. OfficeMax is a trademark of OMX, Inc. Veyer is a trademark of Veyer, LLC. Varis is a trademark of Varis, Inc. Any other product or company names mentioned herein are the trademarks of their respective owners.
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