Imagine being a kindergartener with no crayons or glue or
being a high school student who has to carry all of her books and borrow paper
from the teacher every day. For thousands of students preparing for school in
the city this September, such scenarios will be closer to fact than fiction. But
it’s a situation that the Coalition for the Homeless is trying to end. Between
August 22 and September 16, its 4th Annual Project: Back to School is
rallying volunteers to purchase backpacks and fill them with school supplies
for needy children throughout the city. —
The lack of stability in homeless families can lead to
anxiety, depression, and social withdrawal in children that affect their
learning, and by preparing students with the tools they need to succeed in the classroom;
the project aims to support a group that often falls behind in school. Wish
lists including inexpensive items like pens, pencils, erasers and rulers can be
found on the coalition’s website.
Even if you can’t make it to the store or fill an entire
backpack, you can still start a school supply drive at school or work, become a
corporate sponsor, fundraise to purchase additional school supplies, or make
a one-time donation to the organization. By participating in any capacity you
can, the project will be able to help many of the 16,000 homeless children in New
York. Last year the organization collected 3,000
backpacks for students—this year, let’s work together as a city to break that
record!
For more information
on Project: Back to School and how you can help, visit coalitionforthehomeless.org/backtoschool or send an e-mail to backtoschool@cfthomeless.org.
