PCI Uplifts Miami Community with its Annual Back-to-School Backpack Drive

Postal Center International (PCI) continues its relentless dedication to supporting the communities it serves, this time by distributing 200 backpacks filled with essential school supplies and snacks to children in the Overtown community. The distribution was hosted by the Lotus House Women’s Shelter during their yearly Back to School and Health & Wellness Event, which took place on Saturday, August 10, 2024. This initiative held just ahead of the new academic year, provides a much-needed boost to families grappling with the rising costs of education.

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From left to right: PCI Volunteers Kleber Flores, Camila Reyes, Leonardo Goncalves, Paula Mescolin, Jide Dawodu, Maria Calderon, and Pedro Mescolin during the backpack distribution. (Photo: Business Wire)

"Our annual backpack drive is more than just about providing school supplies—it's about making a meaningful impact on the lives of the families we serve," said Ismael Diaz, President and CEO of PCI. "At PCI, we believe in the power of education and the importance of community. By supporting these students, we are investing in the future and reinforcing our commitment to helping communities thrive."

According to the National Retail Federation, the average cost for student supplies is expected to reach $890 per household, reflecting a seven percent increase from the previous year. This staggering figure underscores the importance of PCI's annual backpack drive, which not only alleviates the financial stress on parents but also equips students with the tools they need to succeed in the classroom.

Each backpack distributed by PCI contained not only school essentials but also a personal touch—inside every bag was a note offering words of encouragement and motivation to the students embarking on their educational journey. Additionally, each bag featured a detachable carrier name card emblazoned with the empowering mantra 'Persist. Create. Inspire,' serving as a daily reminder for students to stay resilient, imaginative, and driven.

Paula Mescolin, Director of Marketing and Communications at PCI and a many-time volunteer at the event, said, "Our commitment to making a positive impact remains at the heart of everything we do. Our PCI Powerhouse team and their families brought our brand’s core values and people-centric culture to one more edition of our annual Backpack Drive, where they volunteered. The Southeast edition of the event was held in collaboration with the Lotus House Women's Shelter and benefited hundreds of families with school essentials and snacks."

The Lotus House Women's Shelter, the largest women’s homeless shelter in the country, providing shelter, resources, and multi-faceted, comprehensive supportive services to help women and families lead lives of greater opportunity, was chosen as the recipient of PCI Southeast’s (Florida) backpack distribution due to its vital role in the community.

PCI's efforts are part of a broader series of backpack drives scheduled across the country. Distributions have already taken place at PCI Southwest (Texas) and PCI Northeast (Massachusetts).

For more information about PCI, the company’s commitment to youth, and its contribution to the communities in which it operates, please visit www.PCIbrands.com.

About Postal Center International (PCI)

Postal Center International (PCI) was founded in 1984 and is a leading print, mail, fulfillment, signs, and marketing solutions partner. Under the leadership of President & CEO Ismael Diaz since 2006, PCI has become renowned as one of the nation’s largest state-of-the-art transactional printing, postal, and mail processing service organizations. The company’s family of brands employs more than 560 associates, with annual sales of over $500 million, at its locations in the Southeast, Southwest, and Northeast regions, with a footprint totaling 562K square feet. PCI delivers exceptional mail, print, signs, fulfillment, promotional, packaging, and marketing solutions for enterprise clients in industries such as banking, financial, healthcare, insurance, hospitality, and government nationwide. PCI is a HIPAA-compliant Certified Minority Owned Diverse Supplier at the state and national levels. It holds multiple security, sustainability, and quality certifications, including HITRUST CSF®, TruSight, FDR, PCI DSS, SOC 2 (Type 2), FSC, SFI, PEFC, and G7.

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