With only a week until the start of New York City Public Schools, families in Ozone Park are getting a little extra help with their children’s back-to-school supplies.
Queens Council Member Joann Ariola, who represents neighborhoods in District 32, hosted a backpack and school supply giveaway on Wednesday, Aug. 28, outside of her Ozone Park office, located at 93-06 101st Ave., with hundreds of parents grabbing essential school supplies with their children.
The back-to-school giveaway comes to Ozone Park in collaboration with other Queens elected officials, including Assemblymember Jenifer Rajkumar, State Senator Joseph P. Addabbo Jr. and Queens Borough President Donovan Richards.
Ariola says the back-to-school giveaway helps provide Ozone Park families with additional help this back-to-school season, as well as familiarity with the resources made available to them at her office.
“This is a great way for elected officials to work together to make sure that the community and the children get what they need,” Ariola said. “A lot of people are hurting financially, and school supplies can be very, very expensive, especially when you’re buying for multiple children.”
Though the council member has not needed to buy school supplies for her own children in recent years, she says she has stayed informed about everything related to back-to-school season while personally observing her grandchildren’s return to school.
Ozone Park parent Christina Saldana, who only walked up the block to get to Ariola’s office, shared that she was glad the backpack giveaway happened so close to her job, considering she had missed another nearby giveaway.
“It’s pretty cool,” Saldana said, considering it is the first time she has seen the giveaway at Ariola’s office.
Another parent who attended the giveaway with her four children and a couple of family members, all going into different grade levels this school year, mentioned how the giveaway helps her cross off more items from the list.
“They gave the list already for her,” Franchesca Garcia said, referring to her daughter entering kindergarten. But she does not expect to spend over $150 overall for supplies, especially with help from the giveaway.
Additionally, officers from the NYPD 106th Precinct, EmblemHealth and Exodus Financial Services Inc. also participated at their own tables, handing out free items to families attending the giveaway event.
Ariola’s office also partnered with Community Board 10, the Queens Public Library and The Shops At Atlas Park, which held its back-to-school giveaway event with the NYPD last week, to help provide backpacks to Ozone Park residents.
Anyone looking to obtain a backpack for their child should contact the office of Council Member Joann Ariola by phone at 718-738-1083 or email at District32@council.nyc.gov.
