By Amy Batista, Special Writer
HIGHTSTOWN — Summer might have just started but Rise is already thinking about kids going back to school.
Busy collecting backpacks and school supplies for low-income children in the community, Rise is hosting its seventh annual Backpack Drive.
“We started this program giving backpacks to the children in our summer program and to clients at the Rise Food Pantry,” said Leslie Koppel, executive director of Rise — A Community Service Partnership. “Last year, with the help of local houses of worship we opened our doors to the entire community.”
Rise went from giving out 275 backpacks in 2013 to 575 in 2014, she said.
“We expect that number to grow this year,” Ms. Koppel said.
“We started collecting already (this year) and beginning on Aug. 10 parents can come in to our Main Street office and collect a backpack filled with school supplies,” Senior Case Manager Anna Vasquez, who coordinates the backpack distribution to make sure each child receives what he/she needs, said.
Ms. Vasquez said Rise tries to pair children with backpacks that they love.
“Last year, little girls leaped up and down when they got Frozen and Hello Kitty character backpacks,” she said.
The highlight of the Backpack Drive is seeing kids excited about and looking forward to the first day of school, she said.
Local businesses and organizations conducting drives for Rise include L’Oreal in Cranbury, Solvay in Cranbury, First Presbyterian of Hightstown, TW Metals in Monroe, First Baptist Church of Hightstown, First Methodist Church of Hightstown, Besler Consulting in Princeton, AAA MidAtlantic, Lions Club, and Mount Olivet. Multi-year contributors include Besler Consulting, L’Oreal, Solvay, AAA MidAtlantic, St. David’s Episcopal Church in Cranbury, Windsor-Hightstown Area Ministerium (WHAM), and St. Paul’s Lutheran Church.
“This will be our fourth year collecting backpacks and each year the office staff gets more and more involved,” Denisse Bou Derrig, of Besler Consulting in Princeton, said. “Everyone comes into my office and checks out the bags that come in.”
She said last year Besler Consulting collected 50 backpacks and this year the firm hopes to double that amount.
“Our firm concentrates on healthcare and we know that supporting education begins in the local community,” she said.
John Patterson, the Rise outreach coordinator from St. David’s Episcopal Church in Cranbury, said he has already started collecting donations.
“St. David’s put the school supply wish-list in our summer newsletter and has been making announcements during services,” said Mr. Patterson.
Rise works with local school districts to get the supply list for each grade so that each child gets what he/she needs.
“For example, younger grades need crayons and we can give older students scientific calculators and highlighters,” she said. “We also work with the school district to provide supplies to children who come unprepared the first days of school.”
She said Rise often receives phone calls from a school nurse who has a child in her office who was sent to school without any supplies.
“People in our community love to donate to this program,” she said. “Even though it is summer, everywhere we shop there are back-to-school supplies for sale. Grandparents and empty-nesters get into the spirit and purchase school items for neighborhood children. It’s an easy way to show that you care about local children and it helps them directly. Kids light up and it provides a little relief for parents with all the demands for new clothes that each child clamors for (and needs) for a new school year.”
Backpacks and school supplies can be dropped off at the Rise office, which is located at 116 Main St. in Hightstown or at one of the Greater Goods Thrift Stores, which are open seven days a week.
Rise will also arrange pick-ups for offices that conduct backpack drives.
“We also need volunteers to sort and organize donations as they come in,” she said. “You can register to volunteer on our website at www.rise-community-services.org.”
Ms. Koppel said the goal is to make sure each child is ready for school and Rise does more than a Backpack Drive to accomplish that goal.
“We created the Rise Summer Academic Enrichment Program and made it affordable to all families,” she said. “This summer we have over 100 students attending classes in math, writing, art, music and science for six weeks. By keeping children engaged in learning during the summer we help prepare them for the new school year.”
Rise is dedicated to working with the community to help individuals and local families who struggle to make ends meet year round.
“For 48 years Rise has partnered with businesses, local Ministerium, and generous individuals to help lift our neighbors toward lives of financial stability,” she said.
The list of items that Rise is collecting for the Backpack Drive is posted on its website at www.rise-community-services.org.
