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Local Organizations Team Up To Support Students

By Michelle Durham

PHILADELPHIA (CBS)  --  It's the largest school supply drive in the region.

Citizens Bank has teamed up with Cradles to Crayons to collect backpacks and other essentials for back to school.

12.9% of people are living on less than $11 or $12,000 a year, making it impossible for parents to equip their children for the school year.

Michal Smith is Executive Director of Cradles to Crayons.

It's a Montgomery County based non-profit that helps local people in need.

"You can remember what it is like to have a full backpack..to have a new set of pencils. It's absolutely wonderful and what we are trying to do is provide that for about 22,000 children this year," Smith said.

The effort kicked off at Citizens Bank's on 15th and Market street.

Their Senior Vice President and Director of Public Affairs Henri Moore presented a $30,000 check to buy 3,500 backpacks, but she says everyone can help!

"You will be able to come in and drop off supplies for backpacks for kids all over the Philadelphia region. This is our 4th year with cradles to crayons partnering with them. We just want to make it easy for people to drop off pencils, pens, crayons, markers," Moore said.

The collection ends at Citizens Bank locations on Friday August 9th Steve

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