As the start of the school year approaches, you can help a homeless child get backpacks and school supplies by donating new supplies in Kew Gardens.
The first floor of Queens Borough Hall, located at 120-55 Queens Blvd., will serve as a drop-off location for annual “Project: Back to School” supply drive. The drive is hosted by the Coalition of the Homeless, the nation’s oldest advocacy and direct service organization that helps homeless men, women and children.
“More than 111,500 New York City students were homeless at some point during the last school year,” said Borough President Melinda Katz. “These children deserve the opportunity to learn, no matter where they happen to lay their heads at night. Fortunately, we in Queens can help ensure that every child has that opportunity by donating new backpacks and school supplies to ‘Project: Back to School.’ Such donations will make a real difference in the lives of so many kids.”
Katz’s office is accepting donations of new backpacks for the children. In addition to the backpacks, the drive will also accept donations of supplies such as number 2 pencils, hard and soft pencil cases, crayons (24-count boxes), colored pencils, washable markers, pencil sharpeners, Elmer’s glue, glue sticks, composition notebooks, binders, ruled paper, pocket folders, safety scissors and scientific calculators.
Donations will be accepted through Aug. 30. Each donated item will be distributed will be distributed to students living in homeless shelters.
“No child should have to walk into that first day of school feeling unprepared and embarrassed, simply because his or her family can’t afford basic school supplies,” said Dave Giffen, executive director of the Coalition for the Homeless. “’Project: Back to School’ gives thousands of homeless students everything they need to start the year off right. When so many children our city are in such dire need, we are truly grateful to Borough President Katz and her office for showing such compassion year after year by supporting ‘Project: Back to School.’”
For more information, call 718-286-2627 or email education@queensbp.org.
