Worzalla Employees donate 500 pounds of school supplies

Metro Wire Staff

A Stevens Point book publisher last week announced its donation of more than 500 pounds of supplies to local schools just before the beginning of the 2021-22 fall semester.

It’s the third consecutive year that Worzalla employees breached the 500-pound mark for Project Fresh Start, a United Way of Portage County Volunteer Center program that provides free school supplies to low-income students in grades 4-12.

“The start of a new school year means buying new school supplies, and for low-income families, it can be a time when money is tight,” said Brianne Petruzalek, Vice President of Human Resources at Worzalla, in a press release from the company. “Worzalla recognizes this need, and we thank all our associates who collected and donated school supplies to help Portage County students start the school year strong.”

Worzalla associates were incentivized to contribute with a prize raffle at its Jefferson St. warehouse.  the associate received an entry into a raffle to win gift cards and paid time off. In addition to the school supplies collected and donated by associates, Worzalla also purchased and donated 30 backpacks to Project Fresh Start. Other donated items included pencils, notebooks, folders, markers, and more.

“Literacy is a value we embrace at Worzalla, and we are happy for any opportunity to help the community when it comes to learning,” said Jim Fetherston, President and CEO at Worzalla. “We appreciate the United Way of Portage County for organizing Project Fresh Start. The program is one to ensure all students start the school year on the same page.”

Worzalla has a history of supporting literacy and learning in the community, such as supporting area schools, donating books, and sponsoring related events. Worzalla prints many popular children’s books and is best known for being the domestic manufacturer of the popular Diary of a Wimpy Kid series. More information is available at Worzalla.com.