Community members can donate school supplies or sponsor a backpack through July 31 to benefit children and families served by Solutions for Change, Olive Crest in San Diego and Desert Sanctuary in Barstow
Oceabside, CA. (July, 2026) — Frontwave Credit Union and the Frontwave Foundation are inviting the community to help local students head back to school prepared, confident and ready to learn through the Frontwave Give360 Summer Backpack Drive, taking place now through July 31.
The drive will collect new backpacks, school supplies and monetary donations to support local foster and low-income students, with donations benefiting children and families served by Solutions for Change, Olive Crest in San Diego, ASYMCA Camp Pendleton and 29Plams, and Desert Sanctuary in Barstow.
“Back-to-school season should be an exciting time for students, but for many families it can also bring real financial stress,” said Bill Birnie, President/CEO of Frontwave Credit Union. “Through the Frontwave Give360 Summer Backpack Drive, we are helping students start the school year with the supplies they need and one less worry for their families.”
Back-to-school expenses continue to create a burden for many households. According to the National Retail Federation, families with students in elementary through high school planned to spend an average of $858.07 on clothing, shoes, school supplies and electronics in 2025. For families already stretching every dollar, basic school supplies can quickly become a significant expense.
Donations may be dropped off at any Frontwave Credit Union branch or at Frontwave Arena. Community members may also make a tax-deductible donation to the Frontwave Foundation, with Frontwave matching online gifts dollar-for-dollar to help fill even more backpacks.
The Frontwave Give360 Summer Backpack Drive is designed to make it easy for the community to help. Donors may choose a student supply tag from a branch or Frontwave Arena display, shop for new classroom essentials and return the items before July 31. Monetary donations will be used to purchase the exact supplies students still need as the school year approaches.
Most-needed items include spiral notebooks, #2 pencils and mechanical pencils, glue sticks, crayons, markers, binders, folders, wired earbuds, highlighters, index cards and hygiene essentials.
Every backpack distributed through the drive will be filled before it reaches a student. Supplies will be distributed through three nonprofit beneficiaries: Solutions for Change, a North County nonprofit helping families overcome homelessness through its long-term Solutions University program; Olive Crest in San Diego, which provides safe, loving homes for children in crisis while strengthening families and preventing abuse; and Desert Sanctuary in Barstow, which supports victims of domestic violence and their children through emergency housing, shelter and outreach services.
“Something as simple as a backpack filled with supplies can make a meaningful difference for a child on the first day of school,” Birnie said. “It tells that student they are supported, they are seen and their community is behind them.”
To participate, community members may donate supplies at any Frontwave branch or at Frontwave Arena through July 31. Online donations may be made through the Frontwave Give360 Summer Backpack Drive page at: frontwavefoundation.com/backpack
About Frontwave Foundation . The Frontwave Foundation, a non-profit 501(c)(3) charitable foundation, strives to be a force for good and leave a lasting impact on our community. Just as Frontwave Credit Union has a long and proud history of giving back to the communities who have supported us over the years, the Frontwave Foundation was founded to take that spirit of giving to the next level.
Our commitment to providing great service extends far beyond banking, lending, saving and planning. By providing sponsorships, awarding grants, volunteering, and forging new community partnerships, the Frontwave Foundation is committed to giving back to those in need in San Diego, Riverside, Imperial and San Bernardino counties.
About Frontwave Credit Union… Frontwave Credit Union, a member-owned not-for-profit, serves over 124,000 members and manages over $1.4 billion in assets across San Diego, Riverside and San Bernardino counties. Founded in 1952 as Camp Pendleton Federal Credit Union, Frontwave has grown from eight members with $40 in assets to a leader in the industry, offering a full range of financial services, including checking, savings, loans, credit cards and financial planning.
Frontwave has been named San Diego’s Best Credit Union four out of the last five years and Morongo Basin’s Best Bank for three consecutive years. It has also earned the Department of the Navy’s Distinguished Credit Union of the Year Award six times in the past eight years. The credit union is a 10-time recipient of the Peter Barron Stark Award for Workplace Excellence, with the most recent recognition in 2022. For more information, visit frontwavecu.com.
