July 23, 2025- Yulista, a national aerospace and defense company, has a contracted site at the Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst. Each year, the company— intent on giving back to the local community— hosts a backpack campaign drive. Yulista provides the backpacks, and its employees provide donations to stuff each bag with supplies.

If and when their goal is met, Yulista Support Specialist Rita Pigott finds a local school or district to receive the donations. In 2025, she contacted Toms River Regional Schools.

The inspiration for the campaign arose from the fact that, on base, there are many families who are not from the area originally, with children who are getting acclimated to new schools and new experiences. Over the years, the most important thing has simply become helping children.

"We try to help out the kids in our area however we can," said Pigott, "and these backpacks have become an important way to do just that."

Pigott and several of her colleagues from Yulista arrived at the district's offices this morning to provide the backpacks, which were vibrant in color and full of supplies for young students.

"Thank you," Superintendent Mike Citta said to the Yulista representatives this morning, "for this wonderful donation that will certainly put to good use for our school families."