Trustees Unite to Provide School Supplies to Local Children in Need

Pencils, markers, rulers, binders and notebooks – all essential items in the classroom – are not easy to come by for too many school-aged children across the country. For this reason, the University of La Verne Board of Trustees decided to spend an evening to address this concern and help make a difference.

On Saturday, February 7, more than a dozen University administrators and Trustees donated their time to help stuff 50 University of La Verne backpacks with essential school supplies, all of which were donated by Yoobi, a new school supplies company that promotes social responsibility through its unique business model.

Yoobi means “One for you, one for me.” For every item purchased, a Yoobi item is donated to a classroom in need in the United States. Since the company’s launch last June, they’ve impacted the lives of more than 500,000 kids.

University of La Verne alumna Monse Cruz ’09 began working for Yoobi before its launch last June. “Both Yoobi and the University share a mission of providing access to education and helping to promote success for underserved populations. I am thrilled that we were able to unite to provide much-needed school supplies to local students in need,” Cruz said.

All 50 stuffed backpacks were donated to David and Margaret Youth and Family Services in La Verne, which serves a population of youth in need of assistance.

“It is not every day that a University Board is able to partner with an alumna to help promote shared values, which in this case is community and civic engagement at its core,” President Devorah Lieberman said. “I want to extend my gratitude and admiration to both Monse and Yoobi for your generosity in helping us live out our mission of serving our communities.”

Yoobi offers a wide-array of school and office supply products, which are sold exclusively at Target and at Yoobi.com. Through its partnership with organizations such as Kids In Need Foundation and Starlight Children’s Foundation, Yoobi is able to identify classrooms in the U.S. that need it the most. To learn more about Yoobi, visit yoobi.com