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COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO. -- The Colorado Springs Police Department announces its partnership with a local fundraising project to supply area teens with school supplies.

In the coming weeks, 500 backpacks will be filled and $10,000 is needed in order to help homeless and disadvantaged teens get ready for the fall school year.  

The drive is being sponsored by Children of Promise, a local nonprofit organization dedicated to providing disadvantaged teens with the supplies they need to start and stay in school.   

The organization is conducting donation drives at multiple locations across the community. These locations include:

Date Specific Locations:

• Concerts in the Plaza, Cinemark Theaters- July 31, from 5 to 7 p.m. 

Ongoing Drop Off Locations:

• ABC Pediatrics- 8890 N. Union Blvd. Suite 220 
• Advantage Family Medicine- 4760 Flintridge Dr. 
• Aspen Creek Medical Associates - 9480 Briar Village Point, Suite 200 
• Best Buy Store- 7675 N. Academy (only) 
• Broadmoor Valley Family Associates- 2620 Tenderfoot Hills, Suite 110,
• Cameron & Butcher Real Estate Company - 421 S. Tejon Street 
• City Administration Building- 30 S. Nevada Ave. 
• Colorado Springs Police Department Locations: 
  • Gold Hills Division, 955 West Moreno Ave 
  • Falcon Division, 7850 Goddard Street 
  • Stetson Hills Division, 4110 Tutt Blvd. 
  • Sand Creek Division, 4125 Center Park 
• ERA Shields Real Estate Company- 5475 Tech Center Drive 
• Eve’s Revolution-1312 W. Colorado Ave 
• Monument Medical Center- 550 Hwy 105 
• Starbucks Coffee Company - 6896 Centennial Blvd (Centennial & Vindicator) 
• State Farm Insurance Office in El Paso County (all locations) 
• Stein Mart Department Store - 7710 N. Academy 

School supplies needed include backpacks, scientific calculators, one-inch binders, red/black pens, notebooks, and college ruled paper.  

Financial donations are needed towards the purchase of new clothing, shoes and school supplies.

Children of Promise grew out of Robin Coen’s creation of a similar organization in Florida to help disadvantaged teens. Having moved to Colorado Springs in 2006, Coen started a local organization in her basement and has recently moved to donated space near Austin Bluffs Parkway.  

Adolescents are referred by high school counselors, probation officers, homeless shelters or other nonprofit groups. Along with supplying their back to school supplies, Children of Promise also provides school clothing, prom dresses for rent, athletic equipment, medical resources, tutors, and other pro bono services.

“Our main goal is to help them fit in at school and feel good about themselves, and a lot of times teens aren’t going to admit they can’t afford something,” Coen said.

Last year the organization assisted 930 youths, and the hope is to double that amount in 2009. With so many families losing jobs because of the recession, more teens are being impacted in their ability to have the basics to attend school.  

For more information or to make a financial donation, call the Children of Promise offices at 719-266-0106. 

For more info about the project, contact Robin Coen, executive director of Children of Promise at 719-216-6190, or you may e-mail her at cochildrenofpromise@yahoo.com.

Information provided by Colorado Springs Police Department.