As the back-to-school season begins, some teachers and local community groups are turning to GoFundMe for financial support. Three local fundraisers for students in various parts of southeast Queens aim to equip youngsters with quality school supplies.
Below is a description of each of the fundraising initiatives.
Empower Southeast Queens with School Supplies
The 6th annual “Back to School Fundraiser” aims to raise money for five schools in southeast Queens. The selected schools are P.S. 134 in Hollis, I.S. 192 in St. Albans, P.S. 52 in Jamaica, I.S. 109 in Queens Village, and Campus Magnet High School in Cambria Heights.
The organizer of the fundraiser, Carmine Couloute, said she hopes the donation drive will have a lasting impact on the local community. “I wanted those who graduated from the schools to still have an impact. The hope is to leave a legacy, as these schools have so much promise. They just need the support and the resources,” she said.
Couloute said that cash donations for caps and gowns will be given to the high school and middle schools, and physical school supplies will go to all participating schools. She added that there is a yearly rotation of selected schools to make an effort to reach as many schools as possible in the local community. To make a donation for Empower Southeast Queens with School Supplies, click here.
Help Support our Back to School Backpack Blessing
Elohim Christian Church, in collaboration with Dawn Acevedo, has launched a “Back to School Backpack Blessing Initiative,” for children living in Richmond Hill. The organizers aim to raise funds to help students start off the school year with their best foot forward. All donations will go towards filling backpacks with notebooks, pens pencils, folders and other school supplies. To make a donation for Help Support our Back to School Backpack Blessing, click here.
Support Ms. Finney’s Diverse Classroom Dream
Jennifer Williams, known as Ms. Finney to her students, is a special education teacher for seventh and eighth graders based in Queens. Finney aims to strengthen her students’ confidence in education through her GoFundMe initiative.
Finney’s GoFundMe list is a mix of classroom materials, including notebooks and folders, so that no child in her classroom feels left behind. “Please help support my classroom and my students with disabilities to succeed, thrive and make sure they know how cared for and loved they are with their school supplies,” she wrote in a blurb. To make a donation for Support Ms. Finney’s Diverse Classroom Dream, click here.
