Press Release

WARSAW — United Way and Bowen Health Clinic are leading the 2022 Big Give Drive to collect more than 2,000 bags of school supplies for local elementary schools.

Each year, United Way organizes the Big Give to help families in the community prepare for school. The goal is to raise 100 bags of school supplies for every elementary school.

It is easy to get involved and make a big difference for children across Kosciusko and Whitley Counties.

United Way has prepared bags for each grade level that includes a tag listing what items should go inside. Community members just need to pick up a bag, fill it and return it to United Way. This project is perfect for a business, church, friend group or family to take part in. Just pick the number of bags you want to fill and shop for school supplies.

“Every day, people ask me how they can help children in our community,” said Darren Bickel, United Way president. “Big Give is a straightforward way you can let a child know that someone cares about them.”

Bags can be requested via United Way’s website or picked up at the United Way office, 119 E. Center St., Warsaw; or the Whitley County Consolidated Schools administration building, 107 N. Walnut St., Columbia City.

Bags can be returned to either location and follow United Way on Facebook to get information about convenient community drop-off events on Aug. 4 and 5:

• Warsaw at Lincoln Elementary School from 10 a.m. to noon Aug. 4
• Columbia City at the superintendent’s office from 10 a.m. to noon Aug. 5

The sponsor for this year’s Big Give is Bowen Health Clinic.

“The Big Give is a great chance for Bowen to do something that will impact so many of the families we serve,” said Tera Robinson, director, Kosciusko County at Bowen Center. “It is a great chance to level the playing field for all students.”

Each school will distribute the bags to children who need them, making sure no child has the awkward moment of being unprepared for their first day of school. Big Give began in 2018 and has collected thousands of items for children across the region. United Way’s children’s initiatives focus on children who need the community’s compassion to grow up strong. Outreach efforts focus on reading, childcare, and helping children overcome traumatic experiences.