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Community Corner

Backpacks of Joy

Family Services of Westchester teams up with volunteers to hand out backpacks to incoming students.

The weeks leading up to school can be hectic. Parents usually fly from store to store looking for boxes of pencils, compasses and new clothing for their children. But for some families throughout Westchester this yearly ritual can be costly—leaving children without all the supplies they need to get off to a good start at school.

But Deborah Blatt of the  is making sure that children and their families have what they need to start school.

The Sharing Shelf, a program run by Family Services of Westchester, has launched their “Backpacks to School” initiative.

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“When children come to school feeling good about themselves. They learn more are more focused and are on the road to success,” said Gerry Goldberg, director of volunteers and development outreach at Family Services of Westchester.

The program seeks to collect donations and supplies to fill 200 new backpacks with supplies that include crayons, colored pencils, markers, glue sticks and composition books for the pupils entering elementary school and rulers, compass, protractor, notebooks, loose leaf paper and binders for middle-school children.    

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“This is a natural extension of what the Sharing Shelf was already doing. We were already ramping up to collect fall clothing for schools. So supplies seemed like a logical leap,” said Blatt.

The program is organized and carried out completely by volunteers. It was a local New Rochelle teacher, Cidalia Vincitore of Yonkers, who rallied teachers, retailers and wholesalers to their cause. 

Over 300 notebooks were made available at 19 cents by the local ShopRite. The store also donated an additional 100 notebooks to the program at no cost to the program.

PM Pediatrics, which has a center in Mamaroneck, is providing supplies for the backpacks. PM Pediatrics is also donating 200 bottles of antibacterial lotion.

“We are happy to be working with teachers and suppliers to find cost-effective ways to provide new backpacks for needy children throughout the county,” said Blatt, adding, “We wanted identical or very similar products in the backpack so making these connections at the Staples in Yonkers and Mt. Vernon was key. We wanted good quality backpacks, not some really good backpacks and some vinyl backpacks.

This is the first time the program has been organized in such a streamline manner.

“We tried to distribute school supplies in the past. But it was really under Deborah’s leadership which has let the program come into its own,” said Goldberg.

Blatt told Patch that each backpack costs around $25 to prepare. The organizers are asking Westchester residents to make a donation if possible by contributing online through the FSW website, just make sure to identify the Sharing Shelf as the recipient.

“We want to give children a sense of respect and dignity, that they have the same chance as someone that has more resources than they do. It is about making them feel that they are just as important as anyone else,” said Blatt.

Donations can be made with a credit card by calling 914-937-2320, ext. 116, or by sending a check to Family Services of Westchester, 1 Gateway Plaza, Port Chester, NY 10573. Donors are asked to earmark their contributions to The Sharing Shelf’s Backpack Drive.

Donated supplies can be dropped off at Family Services of Westchester’s headquarters in Port Chester at One Gateway Plaza, 4th Floor, across from the Open Door and next to Stop & Shop, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. All donations and supplies should be received by Sept. 6.  

To volunteer, contact Deborah Blatt at thesharingshelf@fsw.org or 914-937-2320, ext. 148.

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