Five Towners to pack bags for local school kids

Volunteers from the Five Towns and surrounding communities will come together at 10:30 am this Sunday, Aug. 10, to assemble backpacks for local school children in need.

The project is a joint effort of the communities’ shuls and organizations with the UJA Federation of New York’s Tov B’Yachad (TBY) initiative in the Orthodox communities on Long Island.

“We’re engaging the Orthodox communities because we share the same core values,” said Tov B’Yachad director Irwin Gershon.

The event, at Yeshiva South Shore, 1170 Williams St. in Hewlett, is open to all.

Gershon and UJA-Federation connections director Orna Sheena told The Jewish Star that last year, 150 bags were packed in the Five Towns, but the goal this year is to fill and distribute 500.

Local shuls, HALB, HAFTR and Bristal, an assisted living residence in North Woodmere, each contributed $500, enabling Gershon and TBY to buy “everything we need” at a bulk rate from a supplier.

The local effort began five years ago in Young Israel of North Woodmere as part of the Supplies for Success program of UJA-Federation. That program began 13 years ago and continues with this year’s goal of distributing 6,000 backpacks to children in need in schools across Long Island. They provide new filled backpacks to “return to school with the tools they need to succeed.”

Social workers at local schools and agencies channel backpacks to children of families who turn to scholarships and food pantries. “More people are aware of it and, unfortunately, there is an increased need,” said Gershon. He said that last year 200 were distributed in Bayswater and 60 in Far Rockaway, noting that 20% of the Jewish population on Long Island is at or below the poverty level.

“We do this because there is such a need,” said Judy Wagman, chair of the event along with Batsheva Aron and Chani Goldfeder, all of Hewlett. “A child should not have to go to school feeling that they don’t have what they should. They shouldn’t have low self-esteem. They should be happy to go to school with what they need. A family should not have to not spend on food to get supplies.”

People are urged to volunteer their time and help to come pack the bags on Sunday as well as donate to help provide additional supplies. Additional supplies can be donated as well as money — $18 will fill a backpack for a child, said Gershon. Bags are grouped according to grade level and filled with age appropriate supplies. Donated new backpacks and school supplies may be dropped off at any of the participating synagogues.

“It’s a great chesed project,” stressed Wagman. She has been involved in this project the last few years and pointed out that anyone could be on the receiving end. “It could be anyone of us and we would do anything for a child. Even if you have personal financial issues you can devote time.”

Gershon recommended that volunteers contact their shul to let them know they are coming to join the volunteers packing. “We want to have enough for everybody,” he said.

To register, contact Irwin Gershon at 677-1818 or by email at gershoni@ujafedny.org.