Popular Community Bank once again partnered up with the 2016 Volunteers of America “Operation Backpack” campaign. From July 11th – August 5th, our branches in the NY Metro Region, as well as in our corporate office, collected filled backpacks and a variety of school supplies for students. These donations came not just from our staff but from many of our customers as well. Popular Community Bank staff successfully collected over 120 filled backpacks that will be distributed to thousands of school age children, from grades Pre-K through 12, who live in NYC shelters. These children will be able to approach the new school year with the supplies that they need to have a successful school year. The stigma of being homeless weighs heavily on them and with our help we are providing them not just with a backpack with supplies, but with the confidence of starting the school year looking and feeling like their classmates, and not like a “shelter kid”.