GILROY
– Costco is synonymous with buying big and in bulk. Now, the
store is focusing on something small but important – Gilroy’s
school-aged children.
By LORI STUENKEL
Staff Writer
GILROY – Costco is synonymous with buying big and in bulk. Now, the store is focusing on something small but important – Gilroy’s school-aged children.
One of Gilroy’s newest businesses is getting involved in the city’s schools through donations and a volunteer reading program.
Costco volunteers last week donated backpacks loaded with school supplies to summer school students. The volunteers handed out the backpacks to 450 children from Rod Kelley School and Brownell Academy at a ceremony held at Rod Kelley July 24.
“The kids were all really excited,” said Superintendent Edwin Diaz, who was present at the handing out of the backpacks. “We’re very interested in any of those types of partnerships that promote literacy.”
The backpacks, either light or dark blue, were filled with binders, spiral-bound notebooks, binder paper, pens, pencils and glue sticks for the students to use when school starts Aug. 25.
The students who got to take them home were rewarded for their perfect attendance during the summer school session.
Rod Kelley students received 380 of the backpacks and 70 went to students from Brownell Academy, making up about 90 percent of the total students registered for summer school.
“We usually try to give it to the most needy children, and the district thought summer school children would fit that category,” said Norma Munoz, Membership Marketing Manager for Costco.
The backpack donation program is nationwide, as is a volunteer reading program that Costco will implement this fall.
The program, still being developed, will place volunteer Costco employees at elementary schools around the district to read books to various classrooms. The volunteers will each donate about one hour of their time each week, Munoz said.
