Arcadia University first-year and new transfers students received “a sincere thank you from all of us here at the Giving Factory for the incredible work of Arcadia volunteers at this year’s Backpack-a-thon!” on Aug. 30, said the Cradles to Crayons Team.

“Thanks to you, 500 children in need enjoyed a great day at the (Philadelphia) Zoo, along with a backpack stuffed with school supplies. In addition, Arcadia’s volunteers helped stuff dozens of packs and were a huge help cleaning up and breaking down after the event. All told, thanks to your work 10,000 children in need in the greater Philadelphia area will be starting school with the essentials they need to be successful and ready to learn. It was the amazing hard work and dedication of our volunteers that made it possible!

“We can’t thank Arcadia enough for their great partnership and their willingness to give back on all levels. Since opening in June 2007, Cradles to Crayons has already provided everyday essentials to over 42,000 children in the greater Philadelphia area. With the contributions of individuals like yourselves, and universities like Arcadia, that number grows every day. Thank you for believing in, and supporting, what we do.” Read more about new students’ community service projects.