Mustering support for Supplies for Success
A part of a grass roots effort begun 11 years ago is coming to the Five Towns August 12th, calling for volunteers to come to the Kiddush room at Congregation Anshei Chesed in Hewlett to fill back packs with school supplies for disadvantaged children.
Last year the Supplies for Success program, a UJA-Federation of New York-Connections effort, provided 3200 back packs to children across Long Island who might otherwise have been unequipped for school. Local yeshiva students received 800 of them.
“Seeing how many people, the overwhelming need, who have to choose food on the table or what they need for school I thought, ‘wow, this could be us!’” said Judy Wagman, chair of the Supplies for Success drive at Congregation Anshei Chesed. “No matter how busy our schedules, our children come first. I want my child to walk in the first day (of class) with the supplies they need. It’s awkward enough—my heart went out and I said that I would get involved and I reached out to my friends in the community. We are going to purchase what we can. If you can’t do shopping, give a check to UJA.”
The organization gets names of people who need these backpacks from parents who approach the rabbis at schools including HALB, HAFTR, Darchei Torah, based on those who need tuition assistance; through the Eliezer project, or through the JCC’s food pantry, noted Orna Sheena, UJA’s director of Connections. If they need the food pantry, pointed out Sheena, the agencies know they need backpacks, too. The backpacks and supplies are distributed via schools and agencies, not individually. “Organizations know of our initiative and reach out to me,” said Sheena. “We make sure it reaches the right hands, those who need it the most. Volunteers donate backpacks and the school supplies.” She said that the chairs raise money and buy in bulk throughout the year to be able to purchase “every item on the list” and that it’s run by a “committed group of volunteers and lay leaders. Communities like the Orthodox community help us and demonstrate care for others’ needs.”
They provide supplies from K through 12. The main packing will be done at Solomon Schechter in Williston Park, August 14, 15, 16. On the 15th, they will deliver 500 packs to Sunrise Day Camp, for children with cancer and their siblings. It is the only day camp for children with cancer. A Sunrise Day Camp for children with cancer will also be opening in Israel.
Supplies for Success began 11 years ago, at Summerfest, a yearly private concert and party to benefit UJA-Federation of New York. The first one was held 22 years ago; over 1,000 people from Long Island attend.
People were asked to bring something for others in need and they decided on donating school supplies as the charity, explained Mindy Richenstein, Chair of Supplies for Success, and one of its founders. After two years, it evolved into a stand-alone program, with UJA’s sponsorship. In its first year, 68 children received backpacks.
She emphasized that she had seen many in need. “We had a single, Jewish mother come with her three kids to volunteer at back pack assembly,” she recounted. “She was receiving for her kids and it was her way of giving back. She was very grateful. She didn’t have money to put food on the table, she didn’t know how to manage to scrape together money to get school supplies. It was beyond her means. It is noteworthy that the numbers of Jews receiving backpacks has grown tremendously over the last eleven years. There were few in the beginning; now there are requests all across the island and other communities, from Far Rockaway to the Hamptons.”
This is the third year that the Young Israel of North Woodmere has been involved in the project, said Rebbetzin Lisa Septimus. She said that YINW and the community buy, donate and collect school supplies over a few weeks, assemble them on one Sunday and bring them to UJA’s main bag packing and distribution site. She called the UJA “one of the most far reaching and charitable organizations in the U.S. and it serves communities in an infinite number of ways.” Septimus said they connected with Supplies for Success “to create a relationship between our shul and the UJA. This program has been an excellent way to start since it is a very concrete, hands on way to give Tzedaka and that Tzedaka is distributed to many families in our community.”
The first year, she said, “People from all different areas and shuls were eager to contribute. There were also a bunch of grateful individuals that asked me to be recipients of some bags. I was able to direct them to the UJA distribution center. The UJA, through Irwin Gershon, is making a strong effort to involve Long Island Orthodox communities. It is important for us to realize that the UJA directly serves the Orthodox communities and it is also essential to support an organization that serves all Jews (regardless of background, affiliation, or denomination) and that we take our place within that community as well.”
Many local organizations participate in the effort, Richenstein noted in an email, to pick up backpacks for their clients or to volunteer at our giant three day Backpack Assembly at the Schechter School. The Backpack Assembly on August 13th in the Five Towns is a replication of our primary Backpack Assembly on August 14-16. Six local shuls are involved: Bais Haknesses of North Woodmere, Congregation Beth Sholom of Lawrence, Young Israel of Hewlett, Young Israel of West Hempstead, Young Israel of Woodmere, Congregation Eitz Chayim of Dogwood Park, Young Israel of North Woodmere, and Congregation Anshei Chesed.
Aside from fund raising, Richenstein said that she “shops smart” and buys in bulk from companies that only sell to 501C3 charities. She is able to “fill a backpack with age appropriate supplies for under $18 but with a $63 retail value.”
“I didn’t know there was such a need,” said Wagman. “The best part is that you can bring the children, to understand the other side of the world, about someone who may be lacking, and doing a mitzvah. It will have an impact on them. It’s a wonderful thing, and boruch Hashem for our great community.”
“It builds community,” said Richenstein. “It’s a beautiful thing. You feel that you are doing a mitzvah, you teach the kids about tzedaka and tikun olam.”
To volunteer, donate or for more information email gershoni@ujafedny.org or call 516 677-1818.
