Wondering How to Donate?

There are many ways to help!

Money

Cash, check, or credit card! Donate financially so our volunteers can purchase backpacks and the supplies needed to fill them.

Supplies

Purchase the supplies yourself and drop them off at one of our convenient community collection sites listed below, shop from home with our Amazon Wishlist or EPI – State Farm!

Time

We can use your time in so many ways! Visit our Events page to sign up!

Community Collection Sites

Special thanks to each and every business and organization that collected supplies for us this year!

Volunteers from all over Bloomington-Normal are working with the Back 2 School Alliance (BTSA) to collect backpacks and school supplies.  Almost 70 community partners committed to hosting a Collection Box at their site.

It is with commitment such as this, that our community is able to provide this much-needed service to deserving students.

A HUGE thank you goes out to all those listed below!  Those listed in italics have also made a financial or in-kind donation to the Back to School program.

Big yellow and blue boxes at these locations make it easy for people to donate items, which will be accepted through the cutoff date the first weekend in August.  Three locations are available year-round:  Normal Unit 5 District Office, Bloomington District 87 office, and Mid Central Community Action.

Please click on the Host a Drive page to see the list of needed items designated by both District 87 and Unit 5 schools.

If you would like to help make a difference, you can drop your donations at any of the following locations:

  • Carle Chapel, 1304 Franklin, Normal
  • Carle Fitness Center, 1111 Trinity Lane, Normal
  • Carle Hospice, 303 N Hershey Rd, Bloomington
  • Afni, 1310 Martin Luther King Jr, Bloomington
  • Afni, 404 Brock Dr, Bloomington
  • District 87 Office, 300 E Monroe St, Bloomington
  • Bloomington Farmer’s Market, Downtown Bloomington Square, Saturday until noon
  • Bloomington Public Library, 205 E Olive St, Bloomington
  • B/N  Association  of REALTORS, 407 Detroit Avenue, Bloomington
  • O’Brien Honda, 1601 GE Road, Normal
  • Central Illinois Spine Doctors, 1603 Visa Dr #3, Normal
  • Central Illinois Bank, 1801 E Empire St, Bloomington
  • Four Seasons 1,  904 Four Seasons Rd, Bloomington
  • Four Seasons 2, 2401 Airport Rd, Bloomington
  • The Garlic Press, Uptown Normal
  • Gingerbread House, 915 E Washington St, Bloomington
  • Hail the Hair King, 1702 W College Ave, Normal
  • Heartland Church, 1811 N Linden St, Normal
  • HyVee, 1403 N. Veteran’s Parkway, Bloomington
  • ISU Credit Union, 1309 S Center St, Normal
  • Katie’s Kids Learning Center, 1602 Glenbridge Rd, Bloomington
  • Katie’s Kids Learning Center, 2003 Jacobssen Dr, Normal
  • McLean County Museum of History, 200 N Main St, Bloomington
  • McLean County 4H Fair 8/1, 1106 Interstate Dr, Bloomington
  • Mid Illini Credit Union, 1811 Eastland St, Bloomington
  • My Lean Body Boot Camp, 403 Bronco Dr, Unit 2, Bloomington
  • Office Depot, 1700 E College Ave, Normal
  • Normal Unit 5 Dist Office, 1809 W Hovey, Normal
  • Schnucks, 1701 E Empire, Bloomington
  • Star Uniforms, 2 Yount Dr, Bloomington
  • WalMart, 300 Greenbriar Dr, Normal
  • WalMart, 2225 W Market St, Bloomington
  • YWCA, 1201 N Hershey Road, Bloomington

Thank You to Our Generous Sponsors!

Lead Sponsors

($1000 or more)

Eastview Christian Church

Illinois Prairie Community Foundation

McDonalds

Prairieland PIECE

Walmart

Classroom Companion Sponsors

($500 or more)

Our Redeemer Lutheran Church

Mary Penn

United Way

Family Friend Sponsors

($100 or more)

Bloomington Quarter Auction

Jerry and Mary Foster

Susan Harsha

Norma Honn

Pat and Dan Fitzgerald

Willie Brown

Michael Morrow

Kathy and Paul Packard

Jenny Hill Scott

Michael and Ann Sullivan

In-Kind Sponsors

Connect Transit

First Student

Midwest Food Bank

State Farm Insurance

Walgreens

Thank You to Our Community Supply Drive Partners!

COUNTRY Financial , Bloomington

Bloomington-Normal Association of REALTORS, 407 Detroit Ave., Bloomington

Heartland Community Church, 1811 N Linden St, Normal

ISU campus, Freshman Project Click here

State Farm Insurance Company , Bloomington

McLean County Fair

Sunrise Bloomington Rotary

HyVee

Schnucks

Commerce Bank

US Bank

Katie’s Kids

Farnsworth and Wiley

And to these partners, who allowed us to be at their site to collect donations from the community for our annual weekend supply drive:

Walmart, Normal