ST. LOUIS, July 22, 2011 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ --

It's late July and back-to-school shopping is in full swing. Store shelves are filled with binders, notebooks and backpacks, but for many families it will be a struggle to buy even a portion of what's on their list of supplies. That's why Charter Media and its host of community sponsors around the country are stepping in to support the annual Operation School Supplies drive, now through September.

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This grass-roots back-to-school initiative evolved from local programs created by Charter Media and became a national program seven years ago. "The need in all parts of the country has become greater over the years," said Jim Heneghan, President Charter Media. "Communities have filled school buses, trucks and trailers with supplies; all donated by caring people who want children to have the tools they need for a meaningful educational experience. Charter Media's goal is to help provide learning supplies for students whose academic success is threatened by a lack of those tools. Achievement should never be impeded by need."

There is always need, but this year schools are expecting it to be significantly greater. Melanie Dunham, of the finance department of McDowell County Public Schools in North Carolina, emphasizes that drives such as Operation School Supplies are extremely important. Like the estimated 1.3 million children across the country who are homeless at some time each year, many of the children attending schools in McDowell and nearby counties are displaced from their homes. Because donated school supplies are so critical this year, Charter Media account executive Dee Rosamond has once again engaged MDI/Galaxy Food Centers as local sponsors in western North Carolina to help promote the drive and serve as drop-off locations.

In Cadillac, MI, Charter Media's Margo Jacobs involved the Cadillac Area YMCA in Operation School Supplies, which inspired the Cadillac Public Schools to sponsor a two-day "Stuff the Bus" campaign on the YMCA parking lot. In that community alone, nearly 2,000 school-age children were identified last year as not having a stable home life and/or family.

Operation School Supplies is taking place in most Charter service areas across the country now through September. Hallmark Channel, the exclusive sponsor of the initiative, is supplying colorful location drop-off boxes and offering donors an opportunity for family entertainment packages in a sweepstakes at www.winwithcharter.com.

Charter TV commercials will remind residents to donate during the supply drive, while community sponsors serve as drop-off locations and also promote donations of school supplies of all kinds.

About Charter Media

Charter Media® is the advertising sales division of Charter Communications, Inc., providing local, regional and national businesses with opportunities to advertise in individual markets on cable television networks. More information about Charter Media can be found at chartermedia.com.

About Charter

Charter (NASDAQ: CHTR) is a leading broadband communications company and the fourth-largest cable operator in the United States. Charter provides a full range of advanced broadband services, including advanced Charter TV® video entertainment programming, Charter Internet® access, and Charter Phone®. Charter Business® similarly provides scalable, tailored, and cost-effective broadband communications solutions to business organizations, such as business-to-business Internet access, data networking, business telephone, video and music entertainment services, and wireless backhaul. Charter's advertising sales and production services are sold under the Charter Media® brand. More information about Charter can be found at charter.com.

SOURCE Charter