EATONTOWN — The back-to-school season is an exciting time for many students, filled as it is with shopping for new clothing, notebooks, backpacks and more.
For many children in Monmouth County, however, what should be a happy time is marred by the fact that their families have very limited funds to buy new clothes or school supplies.
To help these children brighten up their back-to-school experience and get the supplies they need, Monmouth Mall is teaming up with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Monmouth County for the fourth annual School Supply Drive.
The goal of the School Supply Drive is to collect donations of school supplies and financial support from Monmouth County residents, business and other organizations to give generously filled backpacks to children in need.
Donations will be accepted through Thursday, Aug. 19, at the Monmouth Mall Customer Service Center during regular mall hours. Items that are needed include: notebooks, pens, pencils, markers, erasers, staplers, calculators and other school supplies. Financial donations also are encouraged to allow the committee to purchase needed items.
Last year’s drive made it possible to help 150 children receive the supplies they needed to begin school. The backpacks and supplies put together this year will be distributed at a private pizza party for the children on Aug. 25.
Those who donate to the School Supply Drive will be eligible to win a $200 Monmouth Mall gift certificate. To enter the drawing without making a donation, send a postcard with name, address and telephone number to Monmouth Mall, Attn: School Supply Drive 2004, Routes 35 & 36, Eatontown, NJ 07725. Big Brothers Big Sisters, based in Eatontown, is celebrating the organization’s 100th anniversary this year. A national force, it now serves 230,000 young people in 5,000 communities.

