Back-to-school supplies now available through Operation Back Pack
A partnership between the Center for Family Services and Cherry Hill Mall is helping students prepare to get back to the books this fall through an initiative called Operation Backpack.
Organizers of the drive, which runs until Aug. 17, are collecting the donation of school supplies, book bags, clothing items and gift cards that will be distributed to children throughout southern New Jersey prior to the 2009-2010 school year. Supplies will be distributed to students in kindergarten through twelfth grade.
Center for Family Services (CFS) is a nonprofit organization that offers residential, counseling and educational programs to aid families in need. The organization’s overall mission is to keep families together and safe.
“We offer residential programs, group homes and courses that teach parenting, stability and self sufficiency,” Jen Hammill, CFS special projects coordinator, said. This is the fifth year CFS has run the school supply collection program, but the first year the organization has partnered with the Cherry Hill Mall as a donation center. “Our organization relies on partnerships within the community, and we are always looking to expand those partnerships,” Hammill said. “We really rely on donations to help provide the families we serve with the essential things that many of us take for granted.”
Last year, Operation Backpack provided book bags filled with school supplies to about 1,100 children.
“Some families are desperately in need,” Hammill said.
“Our thought is that all children deserve new school supplies and the confidence of being prepared on first day of school. By providing new school supplies and clothing, we are providing the same opportunity to these students that many of us take for granted.”
Items are distributed to the students about a week or two before school starts so the students have the peace of mind of knowing they have what they need in advance. Donation tables will be located in the Cherry Hill Mall’s grand court on Aug. 11. Donors can bring school supplies, book bags or gift cards at any time to the mall’s guest services center until Aug. 17.
School supply donations can also be dropped off during regular business hours at the Courier-Post in Cherry Hill, The Promenade at Sagemore in Marlton and Center for Family Services offices in Williamstown, Voorhees and Glassboro.
Cherry Hill Mall marketing director Lisa Wolstromer said the mall has worked with CFS before in a pajama and book drive over the winter months.
Wolstromer sees Operation Backpack as an opportunity to make a local impact and hopes the mall helps to increase the quantity of supplies collected for students.
“When they came to us, we thought it would be a great opportunity to help the community. Given these economic times we are in, more families are in need,” she said.
This year, throughout the holiday season, the mall will partner with Center for Family Services once again with a Breakfast with Santa Nov. 14 and through the Giving Tree Project, which collects gifts for area children in need from Nov. 1 until Dec. 24. For more information, visit the Web site at www.centerffs.org.
Organizers of the drive, which runs until Aug. 17, are collecting the donation of school supplies, book bags, clothing items and gift cards that will be distributed to children throughout southern New Jersey prior to the 2009-2010 school year. Supplies will be distributed to students in kindergarten through twelfth grade.
Center for Family Services (CFS) is a nonprofit organization that offers residential, counseling and educational programs to aid families in need. The organization’s overall mission is to keep families together and safe.
“We offer residential programs, group homes and courses that teach parenting, stability and self sufficiency,” Jen Hammill, CFS special projects coordinator, said. This is the fifth year CFS has run the school supply collection program, but the first year the organization has partnered with the Cherry Hill Mall as a donation center. “Our organization relies on partnerships within the community, and we are always looking to expand those partnerships,” Hammill said. “We really rely on donations to help provide the families we serve with the essential things that many of us take for granted.”
Last year, Operation Backpack provided book bags filled with school supplies to about 1,100 children.
“Some families are desperately in need,” Hammill said.
“Our thought is that all children deserve new school supplies and the confidence of being prepared on first day of school. By providing new school supplies and clothing, we are providing the same opportunity to these students that many of us take for granted.”
Items are distributed to the students about a week or two before school starts so the students have the peace of mind of knowing they have what they need in advance. Donation tables will be located in the Cherry Hill Mall’s grand court on Aug. 11. Donors can bring school supplies, book bags or gift cards at any time to the mall’s guest services center until Aug. 17.
School supply donations can also be dropped off during regular business hours at the Courier-Post in Cherry Hill, The Promenade at Sagemore in Marlton and Center for Family Services offices in Williamstown, Voorhees and Glassboro.
Cherry Hill Mall marketing director Lisa Wolstromer said the mall has worked with CFS before in a pajama and book drive over the winter months.
Wolstromer sees Operation Backpack as an opportunity to make a local impact and hopes the mall helps to increase the quantity of supplies collected for students.
“When they came to us, we thought it would be a great opportunity to help the community. Given these economic times we are in, more families are in need,” she said.
This year, throughout the holiday season, the mall will partner with Center for Family Services once again with a Breakfast with Santa Nov. 14 and through the Giving Tree Project, which collects gifts for area children in need from Nov. 1 until Dec. 24. For more information, visit the Web site at www.centerffs.org.
