Huntington Bank, Big Lots Renew Backpack Giveaway Commitment to Help 30,000 Children in Need Return to School
Huntington is collaborating with local community partners to stuff, distribute backpacks with school supplies throughout the bank's markets
COLUMBUS, Ohio--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Huntington Bank (NASDAQ: HBAN; www.huntington.com) is donating 30,000 backpacks throughout July and August to help low-income families squeezed by the cost of sending children back to school
Huntington's donation of 30,000 backpacks is supported by Big Lots Inc., which provided discounted pricing for the backpacks. It has also increased its donation of basic school supplies to help fill the backpacks.
Throughout local communities, Huntington is currently working with additional partners to collect more school supplies for the backpacks and get them into the hands of schoolchildren in need. This is the third year of Huntington's back-to-school community donation support, an outgrowth of the long-running Huntington Backpack Index.
"Huntington is grateful for the generosity and support of our local communities for this critical effort," said Steve Steinour, chairman, president and CEO of Huntington. "Huntington employees distribute these backpacks every year and look forward to helping children be prepared for school."
Big Lots has donated notebooks, pencils and memo pads for students. Huntington also is participating in community supply drives soliciting customers, employees and the general public to augment the total supplies children receive when the backpacks are distributed.
"In partnering with Huntington for a third year, we hope to set an example for others to help support families who need a hand getting kids back to school equipped for the classroom," said Big Lots CEO Steve Fishman. "We are glad to contribute toward the needs of children in our shared communities."
About Huntington
Huntington Bancshares Incorporated is a $53
billion regional bank holding company headquartered in Columbus, Ohio.
Founded in 1866, Huntington provides full-service commercial, small
business, and consumer banking services; mortgage banking services;
treasury management and foreign exchange services; equipment leasing;
wealth and investment management services; trust services; brokerage
services; customized insurance brokerage and service programs; and other
financial product and services. The principal markets for these services
are Huntington's six-state banking franchise: Ohio, Michigan,
Pennsylvania, Indiana, West Virginia, and Kentucky. The primary
distribution channels include a banking network of over 600 traditional
branches and convenience branches located in grocery stores and
retirement centers, and through an array of alternative distribution
channels including internet and mobile banking, telephone banking, and
over 1,300 ATMs. Through automotive dealership relationships within its
six-state banking franchise area and selected New England states,
Huntington also provides commercial banking services to the automotive
dealers and retail automobile financing for dealer customers.
Source: Huntington Bancshares Incorporated
Released July 12, 2011