Ocean State Job Lot (OSJL) representatives including: Alison White, Eva Morrissey, Brenda Cugini, Theodore Cugini, John Keeley, Elizabeth Ahern and Brian Abalutzk.

NORTH KINGSTOWN, R.I. – Ocean State Job Lot, the region’s premier discount retail chain with 146 stores throughout the Northeast, is pleased to announce that its recent “Buy-Give-Get” program has resulted in the collection of 30,000 backpacks, all of which are being donated to the children in need, including children of military families, prior to the start of the 2021-2022 school year.

As part of the “Buy-Give-Get” program which ran from July 8th through August 2nd, any customer who bought a backpack at OSJL for $15.00 and gave it back to the store as a donation to children in need, got a $15.00 Crazy Deal Gift Card to be used for a future purchase at any Ocean State Job Lot store.

The Ocean State Job Lot Charitable Foundation partnered with the New England Patriots Foundation and the USA Veterans Military Support Foundation, both of which collected school supplies through their own networks as part of the program, to distribute the backpacks to children in need, including children of military families, across the region. On August 17th, volunteers from OSJL’s stores and Rhode Island-based distribution center and corporate office gathered at Foxborough Terminal near Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, MA to help stuff a portion of the backpacks with donated school supplies. Beginning August 18th, the school supply-stuffed backpacks were distributed to children across New England, New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania.

“The results of our ‘Buy-Give-Get’ program are a true testament to our customers’ generosity and a salute to the military families in our communities,” said David Sarlitto, Executive Director, Ocean State Job Lot Charitable Foundation. “With our customers’ support and the help of the New England Patriots Foundation and the USA Veterans Military Support Foundation, we’re working to deliver all 30,000 of these backpacks before the first school bells ring in each of the states where we have stores.”