Summer collections seek school supplies for less fortunate
July 29, 2019 at 12:37 p.m.
By David Karas | Correspondent
When Aileen Rivell and her family moved from Westfield to their current home in Colts Neck and joined St. Mary Parish, Colts Neck, one thing was missing: a school supply drive to collect needed materials for students.
“My family really enjoyed participating in the school supply collection held at our old parish in Westfield, (so) we decided that we would start one at our new church,” said Rivell. In 2008, she and her mother began what has since become an annual project geared towards collecting school supplies for low-income students.
Project Backpack, as it has been known, returned this summer with an ambitious wish list – with items ranging from binders to backpacks, crayons to pencil pouches.
“The students who benefit from Project Backpack come from lower income families in the Freehold area,” said Rivell. “Everything collected goes to these local students, who range in age from kindergarten to high school.”
In addition to churches from various faith traditions, the drive has been hosted within the Diocese of Trenton’s St. Gabriel Parish, Marlboro, and St. Thomas More Parish, Manalapan, as well as parish of St. Mary Parish, Colts Neck.
Rivell said that the expansion came after the drive experienced increasing success each year. The first summer collection netted some 100 backpacks – each filled with age-appropriate school supplies as well as other items like pens, pencils and crayons. Last summer, she said, the effort yielded 200 filled backpacks.
The beneficiaries, she said, receive not only the classroom essentials they will need, but a boost in spirits, as well.
“To an underprivileged student, being able to start the school year with brand new school supplies and a fun backpack covered in superheroes or floral print can be a source of great excitement,” she said. “It is my hope that this excitement transfers over to the subject material that the students record in their new colorful notebooks.”
She said that the drive also resonates with a central component of the Catholic faith.
“One of the many things that the Gospel teaches us is to help the less fortunate,” she said. “And you don’t need to go to foreign countries to find people in need; they can often be found in your own hometown or the next town over. A local collection allows people to give back to their own community in a meaningful way and can enhance the sense of community in a town.”
Calls for support
Parishes and social services organizations throughout the Diocese are engaged this summer in school supply drives, geared towards helping to provide less fortunate students with the tools they need to make the most out of the upcoming school year.
The following parishes and organizations are actively seeking your support:
Project Backpack, Rivell’s initiative, accepts assorted supplies in addition to financial contributions from those interested in providing support but not able, or too busy, to shop for school supplies. Those with questions or seeking more information can contact Rivell at 732-946-7201. Checks can be sent to St. Gabriel Parish, Marlboro, and should note that the contribution is for Project Backpack. While the formal drive has ended for the summer, those wishing to contribute items, or funds, can do so in St. Gabriel Parish.
The Catholic Youth Organization of Mercer County, located at 920 S. Broad Street, Trenton, is seeking donations of school supplies, including backpacks, pencils, pens, markers, crayons, notepads and other materials. For more information, contact Nancy Podeszwa at [email protected].
Mount Carmel Guild of Trenton, located at 73 N. Clinton Ave., is organizing a backpack distribution for children of multiple ages. The drive seeks backpacks for younger children, in elementary school, with crayons, notepads, pencils, pens, a glue stick, color markers and a packet of construction paper. For older children, the drive is seeking backpacks with larger storage pockets on the outside, along with pens, a handheld calculator, three to five subject notebook, pocket folders and pencils. For more information, contact Dominican Sister Loretta Maggio at 609-392-5159, ext. 101 or at [email protected].
St. Francis Community Center, located at 4700 Long Beach Blvd., Long Beach Township, is working to provide a limited number of families with backpacks for the upcoming schools year. Donations of pens, pencils, erasers, glue sticks, markers, highlighters, colored pencils, crayons, safety scissors, rulers, pencil cases, folders, notebooks, notebook paper, binders and backpacks are being sought. Donations can be dropped off at the reception desk or lobby, or in the Human Concerns office. For more information, contact Ann Marie Malone at 609-494-8861.
Catholic Charities and its affiliated organizations are hosting a back to school drive throughout the Diocese of Trenton. Organizers are seeking donations for children in all grades, ranging from kindergarten through 12th grade, including: backpacks, binders, folders, loose-leaf paper, notebooks, crayons, pens, pencils, scissors, pencil boxes, sharpeners, calculators, protractors, rulers, markers, marble notebooks, blue sticks and dictionaries. Additional donation suggestions include gift certificates to discount department or shoe stores, including Target, Wal-Mart and Payless Shoes, as well as new socks and underwear.
Donations can be dropped off between Aug. 4 and Aug. 28 in Burlington County at 801 Burlington Avenue, Suite G, Delanco, Monday-Friday between 9 a.m. and noon, or 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., and those with questions can call 856-764-6940.
Providence House Counseling Center, Delran, at 950 A Chester Ave., Suite 20, is also accepting donations in Burlington County. In Mercer County, donations are accepted at 132 Warren Street, Trenton, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays, and more information can be obtained by calling 609-394-8847. Also in Mercer County, New Choices – at 10 Southard Street, Trenton – and El Centro – at 327 S. Broad Street, Trenton – will be accepting donations. In Monmouth County, Linkages Transitional Housing, at 4261 Route 33, Tinton Falls, and Children and Family Services, at 145 Maple Ave., Red Bank, will be accepting contributions. Those in Ocean County can drop off donations at 200 Monmouth Ave., Lakewood, from 9 a.m. to 4 pm. on weekdays, and those with questions can call 732-363-5322. Providence House Outreach, at 88 Schoolhouse Road, Suite 1, Whiting, will also accept donations.
The St. Vincent de Paul Society conference in St. Barnabas Parish, Bayville, is sponsoring its annual school supplies drive. Donations of items including backpacks, notebooks, new children’s books, binders, paper, pens, pencils, and crayons, will be distributed to needy families in the local community. Donations can be left in the church vestibules on weekends or dropped off at the food pantry, which is located in the garage of the rectory offices. The pantry is open for donations on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 9:30 to 11:15 a.m. Persons in need of school supplies should call the St. Vincent de Paul Society at 732-269-2208, ext. 134.
Visit www.TrentonMonitor.com for more information and up-to-date listings of drives being held throughout the Diocese of Trenton, to learn how to do your part to help students prepare for the upcoming school year.
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By David Karas | Correspondent
When Aileen Rivell and her family moved from Westfield to their current home in Colts Neck and joined St. Mary Parish, Colts Neck, one thing was missing: a school supply drive to collect needed materials for students.
“My family really enjoyed participating in the school supply collection held at our old parish in Westfield, (so) we decided that we would start one at our new church,” said Rivell. In 2008, she and her mother began what has since become an annual project geared towards collecting school supplies for low-income students.
Project Backpack, as it has been known, returned this summer with an ambitious wish list – with items ranging from binders to backpacks, crayons to pencil pouches.
“The students who benefit from Project Backpack come from lower income families in the Freehold area,” said Rivell. “Everything collected goes to these local students, who range in age from kindergarten to high school.”
In addition to churches from various faith traditions, the drive has been hosted within the Diocese of Trenton’s St. Gabriel Parish, Marlboro, and St. Thomas More Parish, Manalapan, as well as parish of St. Mary Parish, Colts Neck.
Rivell said that the expansion came after the drive experienced increasing success each year. The first summer collection netted some 100 backpacks – each filled with age-appropriate school supplies as well as other items like pens, pencils and crayons. Last summer, she said, the effort yielded 200 filled backpacks.
The beneficiaries, she said, receive not only the classroom essentials they will need, but a boost in spirits, as well.
“To an underprivileged student, being able to start the school year with brand new school supplies and a fun backpack covered in superheroes or floral print can be a source of great excitement,” she said. “It is my hope that this excitement transfers over to the subject material that the students record in their new colorful notebooks.”
She said that the drive also resonates with a central component of the Catholic faith.
“One of the many things that the Gospel teaches us is to help the less fortunate,” she said. “And you don’t need to go to foreign countries to find people in need; they can often be found in your own hometown or the next town over. A local collection allows people to give back to their own community in a meaningful way and can enhance the sense of community in a town.”
Calls for support
Parishes and social services organizations throughout the Diocese are engaged this summer in school supply drives, geared towards helping to provide less fortunate students with the tools they need to make the most out of the upcoming school year.
The following parishes and organizations are actively seeking your support:
Project Backpack, Rivell’s initiative, accepts assorted supplies in addition to financial contributions from those interested in providing support but not able, or too busy, to shop for school supplies. Those with questions or seeking more information can contact Rivell at 732-946-7201. Checks can be sent to St. Gabriel Parish, Marlboro, and should note that the contribution is for Project Backpack. While the formal drive has ended for the summer, those wishing to contribute items, or funds, can do so in St. Gabriel Parish.
The Catholic Youth Organization of Mercer County, located at 920 S. Broad Street, Trenton, is seeking donations of school supplies, including backpacks, pencils, pens, markers, crayons, notepads and other materials. For more information, contact Nancy Podeszwa at [email protected].
Mount Carmel Guild of Trenton, located at 73 N. Clinton Ave., is organizing a backpack distribution for children of multiple ages. The drive seeks backpacks for younger children, in elementary school, with crayons, notepads, pencils, pens, a glue stick, color markers and a packet of construction paper. For older children, the drive is seeking backpacks with larger storage pockets on the outside, along with pens, a handheld calculator, three to five subject notebook, pocket folders and pencils. For more information, contact Dominican Sister Loretta Maggio at 609-392-5159, ext. 101 or at [email protected].
St. Francis Community Center, located at 4700 Long Beach Blvd., Long Beach Township, is working to provide a limited number of families with backpacks for the upcoming schools year. Donations of pens, pencils, erasers, glue sticks, markers, highlighters, colored pencils, crayons, safety scissors, rulers, pencil cases, folders, notebooks, notebook paper, binders and backpacks are being sought. Donations can be dropped off at the reception desk or lobby, or in the Human Concerns office. For more information, contact Ann Marie Malone at 609-494-8861.
Catholic Charities and its affiliated organizations are hosting a back to school drive throughout the Diocese of Trenton. Organizers are seeking donations for children in all grades, ranging from kindergarten through 12th grade, including: backpacks, binders, folders, loose-leaf paper, notebooks, crayons, pens, pencils, scissors, pencil boxes, sharpeners, calculators, protractors, rulers, markers, marble notebooks, blue sticks and dictionaries. Additional donation suggestions include gift certificates to discount department or shoe stores, including Target, Wal-Mart and Payless Shoes, as well as new socks and underwear.
Donations can be dropped off between Aug. 4 and Aug. 28 in Burlington County at 801 Burlington Avenue, Suite G, Delanco, Monday-Friday between 9 a.m. and noon, or 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., and those with questions can call 856-764-6940.
Providence House Counseling Center, Delran, at 950 A Chester Ave., Suite 20, is also accepting donations in Burlington County. In Mercer County, donations are accepted at 132 Warren Street, Trenton, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays, and more information can be obtained by calling 609-394-8847. Also in Mercer County, New Choices – at 10 Southard Street, Trenton – and El Centro – at 327 S. Broad Street, Trenton – will be accepting donations. In Monmouth County, Linkages Transitional Housing, at 4261 Route 33, Tinton Falls, and Children and Family Services, at 145 Maple Ave., Red Bank, will be accepting contributions. Those in Ocean County can drop off donations at 200 Monmouth Ave., Lakewood, from 9 a.m. to 4 pm. on weekdays, and those with questions can call 732-363-5322. Providence House Outreach, at 88 Schoolhouse Road, Suite 1, Whiting, will also accept donations.
The St. Vincent de Paul Society conference in St. Barnabas Parish, Bayville, is sponsoring its annual school supplies drive. Donations of items including backpacks, notebooks, new children’s books, binders, paper, pens, pencils, and crayons, will be distributed to needy families in the local community. Donations can be left in the church vestibules on weekends or dropped off at the food pantry, which is located in the garage of the rectory offices. The pantry is open for donations on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 9:30 to 11:15 a.m. Persons in need of school supplies should call the St. Vincent de Paul Society at 732-269-2208, ext. 134.
Visit www.TrentonMonitor.com for more information and up-to-date listings of drives being held throughout the Diocese of Trenton, to learn how to do your part to help students prepare for the upcoming school year.
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