The assembly line was bustling on Wednesday as volunteers stuffed backpacks full of everything from notebooks, binders and folders to highlighters, protractors and flash drives. In all, more than 600 students will hit the ground running this school year thanks to supplies from Operation Backpack, a partnership between The Sharing Shelf of Family Services of Westchester and Westchester County's Department of Social Services.
"Today is the perfect example of why I started Sharing Shelf – it's bringing the community that has together to help the community in need," said Deborah Blatt, director of The Sharing Self, which collects and distributes clothing to people in need throughout the year. "Because of everyone here, 600 children will feel a lot better about themselves when they start school next week."
Donations are being accepted until September 5, and the top requests are empty backpacks and calculators. A $25 donation will fill one backpack. Contact The Sharing Shelf at (914) 305-5950 or thesharingshelf@fsw.org for more information.
This is the third year that County Executive Robert P. Astorino has teamed up with Operation Backpack, helping to get school supplies to roughly 2,000 kids in need. Joining the packing line on Wednesday were Chief of Staff George Oros, Deputy Chief of Staff Katherine Delgado, and Deputy Commissioner of DSS John Befus.
"Starting school with the proper supplies puts a child in the mindset to succeed right from the very first day of class," Astorino said. "I want to thank all the volunteers, companies and individuals who have worked so hard to make this year's Operation Backpack a success."
"It feels good to help because you don't want anyone to feel like the one person who doesn't have anything when they get to school," said Leon, 14, who will be a freshman at Westlake High School.
Sixteen-year-old Jessica Klein, meanwhile, has volunteered with Operation Backpack for the past several years. Last year, she started school without the proper backpack because the one she ordered online was delivered late, and she remembers how she felt unprepared for class. She doesn't want other kids to feel that way, especially if someone can't afford to buy the proper supplies.
"You feel like people are looking at you. Even if they're not, you just feel that way and it's uncomfortable," said Klein, who will be a senior at New Rochelle High School. "Having these great backpacks will make kids feel like they fit in."
Click here for the list of local government offices that have collection bins set up.