CASA of Carson City is extending its heartfelt gratitude to longtime community partner Eaglemark Savings Bank, a subsidiary of Harley-Davidson Financial Services, following an extraordinary backpack and school supply drive benefiting children in foster care throughout Northern Nevada.
Through the generosity and dedication of the Eaglemark team, 105 backpacks were collected, filled with school supplies, and donated for children ranging from elementary through high school.
Brightly colored backpacks in reds, greens, blues, and more arrived at the CASA office overflowing with everything a student could need to begin the school year prepared and excited. Spiral notebooks, composition books, folders, pencils, colored pencils, crayons, and other classroom essentials were carefully packed inside each one.
But the donation represented far more than backpacks and school supplies.
For a child in foster care, the beginning of a new school year can come with challenges that extend well beyond the classroom. Some children may be beginning the year in a new home, attending a new school, or entering a classroom where they do not yet know anyone. Amid those uncertainties, something as simple as having a brand-new backpack filled with their own school supplies can provide a meaningful sense of normalcy, belonging, and confidence.
“One of the things we always want for the children we serve is the opportunity to simply be kids,” said Melanie McCormick, Executive Director of CASA of Carson City. “On the first day of school, they should be thinking about seeing old friends, making new ones, meeting their teachers, and wondering what the new school year will bring—not worrying about whether they have a backpack, pencils, notebooks, or the supplies everyone else is carrying. Eaglemark Savings Bank gave our children that opportunity.”
Eaglemark Savings Bank and Harley-Davidson Financial Services have been valued partners of CASA of Carson City for many years, consistently demonstrating an extraordinary commitment to children and families within the foster care system.
Their support extends beyond financial generosity. It is reflected in the time their employees give, the care they put into their efforts, and the compassion behind each project they undertake.
“When those backpacks came through our doors, you could see the time and thought that went into them,” McCormick said. “They weren’t simply donated—they were gathered, filled, organized, and prepared with care so that we could turn around and place them directly into the hands of children who needed them. To see backpacks literally overflowing with supplies was incredibly moving. This is a group of people who continually shows our children, through their actions, that their community sees them, values them, and wants them to succeed.”
CASA of Carson City believes every child deserves to enter the classroom feeling prepared, capable, and confident. While children in foster care may carry circumstances their classmates cannot see, on the first day of school they deserve the same excitement, nervous anticipation, new friendships, and fresh beginnings as every other child.
Because of Eaglemark Savings Bank and the employees of Harley-Davidson Financial Services, children throughout Northern Nevada were able to begin this school year with backpacks on their shoulders, supplies in their hands, and one less worry to carry with them.
“There are simply not enough words to express our gratitude,” McCormick added. “Eaglemark Savings Bank and Harley-Davidson Financial Services have stood beside CASA and the children we serve for years. Their generosity is phenomenal, but it is their heart that continues to mean the most. We are incredibly fortunate to call them our community partners and our friends.”
CASA of Carson City extends its deepest appreciation to every Eaglemark Savings Bank and Harley-Davidson Financial Services employees who donated, collected, organized, packed, and helped make this year’s backpack drive possible.
Thank you for helping our children walk into a new school year feeling prepared, supported, strong, and—most importantly—like kids.
About CASA of Carson City
CASA of Carson City provides trained, court-appointed volunteer advocates for children involved in the foster care and child welfare system. CASA volunteers advocate for the best interests of children while helping ensure their voices, needs, safety, well-being, and opportunities for permanency remain at the forefront throughout their involvement with the court and child welfare systems.
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