The average family spends $122 on school supplies, a sum out of reach for low-income families and those living below the poverty level in Westchester County. But the supplies allow local students to return to school prepared, confident and ready to learn.
That’s where The Sharing Shelf comes in. Founded in 2009, this program of Family Services of Westchester (FSW) collects new and gently used clothing for infants, children and teens. On Saturday, Aug. 11 from 10 a.m. to noon, volunteers will be packing backpacks at The Sharing Shelf in Port Chester – filling more than 400 new backpacks for children in elementary school with grade-appropriate supplies as part of its annual “Backpacks to School” initiative.
Hundreds of people countywide, including from companies such as Regeneron, SwissRe, Schott, Siemens and Crowne Plaza White Plains, have donated funds to purchase everything needed for this initiative. In total, The Sharing Shelf plans to fill at least 1,200 backpacks that will be distributed before Labor Day to children throughout Westchester.
To find out more about how to help or to donate, visit: fsw.org/backpacks.
– Georgette Gouveia
