DETROIT, Michigan – State Senator Martha G. Scott (D-Highland Park) and The Office Depot Foundation are pleased to announce that Catholic Social Services of Wayne County has been chosen to receive backpacks containing essential school supplies as part of the Foundation’s Ninth Annual National Backpack Program in partnership with the National Foundation for Women Legislators (NFWL).

A formal presentation of the backpacks will occur on Monday, August 10, at 10 a.m. at the Office Depot at 24110 Greenfield Road, Oak Park. The backpacks will go to children in foster care.

“This is an extremely beneficial program,” Senator Scott said. “I am honored to have the opportunity to present these backpacks to deserving students. As we have seen the economy fluctuate over the last year, many parents have struggled to figure out how they will be able to purchase supplies for their children. As another school year begins, public-private partnerships like this are even more important. As Michigan’s NFWL Education Team Leader, I must commend the Office Depot Foundation on its efforts to make children’s lives easier when it comes to having basic school supplies, which many of us take for granted.”

This year, Office Depot (NYSE: ODP) and the Office Depot Foundation are celebrating the donation of the 2 millionth backpack since this program began in 2001. NFWL has been partnering with the backpack program for four years and this year, the Office Depot Foundation will provide the National Foundation for Women Legislators with more than 18,000 backpacks for distribution by women elected officials in all 50 states.

The Office Depot Foundation will also donate backpacks to children in partnership with the Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America, the National Court Appointed Special Advocates Association (CASA), the Kids In Need Foundation, City Year, Nourish America, Feed The Children and the Tony Stewart Foundation. These organizations focus on education, domestic abuse, national disaster relief and other vital issues and will assist in distributing backpacks to children across the country and internationally.

“Children who are poor or abused, or families who have suffered through a natural disaster do not need to worry about the stigma of not having school supplies,” Senator Scott said. “This is a wonderful program and I look forward to working with the Office Depot Foundation in the future on behalf of the National Foundation for Women Legislators.”

The 2009 backpacks come in five different color schemes, blending orange, blue, red, purple, green and pink. Specially designed to meet the needs of students in grades K-5, the backpacks feature two front pockets and wide, padded straps for comfort and support. Each backpack includes a pencil pouch containing essential back-to-school items a ruler, four crayons, a glue stick, a pen, a pencil, a pencil sharpener and an eraser.

About the National Foundation For Women Legislators, Inc. (NFWL)

Through annual educational and networking events, the National Foundation for Women Legislators supports women legislators from all levels of governance. As a non-profit, non-partisan organization, NFWL does not take ideological positions on public policy issues, but rather serves as a forum for women legislators to be empowered through information and experience.

About the Office Depot Foundation

The Office Depot Foundation is an independent foundation (tax exempt under IRC Sec. 501c-3 that serves as the independent charitable giving arm of Office Depot, Inc. In keeping with its mission, Listen Learn Care®, the Foundation supports a variety of programs that help children succeed in school and in life; enable civil society (non-profit) organizations to become more efficient and effective; help people and businesses prepare for disasters, then recover and rebuild afterwards; strengthen local communities through grants, product donations and volunteerism; and encourage community development through entrepreneurship and economic innovation. For more information, visit www.officedepotfoundation.org.

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Senator Scott represents the 2nd Senate District, which includes areas of Detroit and the cities of Hamtramck, Harper Woods, Highland Park and all of the Grosse Pointes. She serves on the Senate Appropriations Committee.