Have an old toner cartridge that you don’t know what to do with? Donate it to Clipus! The Clipus Foundation is a 501(c)(3) local non-profit that raises money by collecting ink cartridge donations from local businesses and selling them for cash. The mission of the foundation is “To facilitate and enhance the education of children in need by providing them with school supplies.” Clipus then uses the money to purchase backpacks and other school supplies for children who live in the DC area that couldn’t otherwise afford them. Katherine Jiang, a senior at The Madeira School, started the foundation in 2011 and there are now over 30 girls from Langley who work to support and run the foundation. (Quote from Katherine Jiang about her time with the foundationTBD).
Clipus is made up of a great group of students who have outstanding motivation to do good for their community. Most participants attend Langley High School or Madeira High School. A Langley freshman member, Angelina Paul said “I really have enjoyed my time in the Clipus foundation because I feel like it is very beneficial to our community and I really enjoy spending time with all the people in the foundation with me. I feel like it’s a really good experience and if you would like to join, I really recommend it because we love getting new people and it looks very good on your college application.”
Last fall the Clipus foundation raised enough money to purchase 1000 backpacks and distributed them to schools in the DC area. This year the Clipus foundation has many upcoming events. Some of these events include a school supplies distribution at Graham Road Elementary School, the third Langley Toner Drive pickup, and school supplies collection drive.
In addition to collecting ink cartridges, the club members also had fundraisers. The Langley branch of Clipus sponsored a bake sale at the Great Falls Safeway in April and raised over $100. The 2015 President of the Langley Clipus branch said, “On April 25, Clipus held a bake sale at the Great Falls Safeway and successfully raised more than $120, enough to purchase at least ten backpacks full of school supplies to last a school year for a child in need.” To learn more about the Clipus foundation or to volunteer or donate, go to www.clipusfoundation.org