The National Council of Jewish Women (NCJW) volunteers packed 1,000 backpacks filled with school supplies Thursday for Oakland County homeless children.
The backpacks will be distributed to The Oakland Schools Homeless Student Education Program.
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In 2000, NCJW/Greater Detroit began annually providing backpacks and school supplies to children in need in the Detroit school system. In 2005, Oakland County Homeless Student Education Program and National Council of Jewish Women, Greater Detroit Section began a partnership to meet the needs of children evacuated from New Orleans due to Katrina and relocating to the Metropolitan Detroit area. Backpacks, school supplies, books and Target gift cards were given to the children. The partnership continued and they now annually distribute approximately 1000 backpacks, school supplies, books, toothbrushes and toothpaste, Target gift cards and coupons for free clothing in the NCJW/Greater Detroit resale shop. The partnership is essential in meeting an unmet need.
NCJW/Greater Detroit volunteers organize the purchase and packing of school supplies and backpacks annually in August. School supplies include pencils, pens, colored pencils, crayons, rulers, notebooks, markers, erasers, and pencil cases. In addition to the school supplies, toothbrushes and toothpaste are donated by local dentists and a gift certificate for the National Council of Jewish Women, Greater Detroit Section resale shops is provided for the students. Target $25 gift cards are also purchased and distributed to those students who are in need of purchasing items such as socks or underwear. Oakland County Homeless Student Education Program distributes the backpacks to students in need.
NCJW's donation was funded by a grant by DeRoy Testamentary Foundation Written by Susan Gertner, Executive Director, NCJW, Greater Detroit Section. NCJW further leveraged the grant monies by purchasing the backpacks and supplies at Meijer, who gave the group an additional discount because of the large purchase.
For 124 years, NCJW/Greater Detroit has provided services for children. Most recently with our Back 2 School Store for over 380 children in need residing in the City of Detroit and tutoring/ reading to children at the Coleman A. Young Elementary School.