Fill the Backpack 2024

COSHOCTON, Ohio – Each summer the Coshocton Regional Medical Center makes sure the elementary students of their county return to school equipped to handle the upcoming school year.

Coshocton Regional Medical Center Business Development and Marketing Director Kaylee Andrews discussed the ways in which their ‘Fill the Backpack’ program brings the community together and benefits the youth.

“‘Fill the Backpack’ is Coshocton Regional Medical Center’s outreach campaign,” Andrews said. “We do this to represent 3,500 students in the local community, from Pre-K to 6th Grade. And we provide each one of them with a backpack filled with 11 school supplies. We work with local businesses and organizations to provide funding for this program. But the hospital, Coshocton Regional Medical Center, sponsors about 60 percent of that funding for this program.”

Nearly 100 volunteers from all over the community gather each summer at the hospital to organize the supplies and fill the packs. Andrews noted that by consolidating efforts made by other organizations, a single, concentrated effort creates convenience and bolsters purchasing power. 

“Yeah, what we saw before we started this project and how we landed on it was we saw so many different organizations that individually would try to help the kids in need. And so they would get a list of students that were really, you know, in need of school supplies for back to school and they would try to tackle that project. But then another organization would be doing the same thing and there was a lot of repetition in between those groups of people. So how could we come together as one and have just one drive,” Andrews said.

Backpacks are distributed to all students to ensure a better supply and eliminate concerns associated with household income. Andrews expressed gratitude for all of the support they’ve received from local organizations and individuals that have donated their time and money.