Queens Center reaches goal of 500 backpacks

When brand new backpacks stuffed with school supplies recently arrived at the Saratoga Family Inn – a shelter for families in need – the children benefactors were thrilled with the prospect of picking their favorite style and color for the new school year. A day earlier, volunteers at the Queens Center in Elmhurst stuffed each backpack with pencils, notebooks, folders, rulers, erasers and more all in an effort to help students who lacked these specific resources start the school year prepared.
“This is such a big help from the Queens Center and all the children appreciate it,” said Tinnycua Williams, education programs coordinator at Saratoga Family Inn.
The Queens Center’s goal of filling 500 backpacks with essentials was eventually reached thanks to the help of volunteers including members of The River Fund, the second beneficiary of donated school supplies.
“We are enthusiastic about fulfilling the needs of the community,” said Dawn Simon, senior marketing manager at Queens Center. “We are trying to help children get a better start on the school year and put them in the mindset of learning.”
The overwhelming achievement at the first Pack the Backpacks event has prompted the Queens Center to make it an annual undertaking.
“This was so successful, how could we not do it again?” said Simon.