With rock n’ roll songs blaring overhead, more than 200 Northwell Health employee volunteers gathered together for a marathon book bag packing session today to get school-age children off to the right start.
“In an effort to get school-age children off to the right start, our employees are proud to hold this annual book bag packing event,” Ines Vanboom, assistant vice president of corporate social responsibility at Northwell Health said. “Now in our fourth year, it continues to be our belief that every child has the right to succeed.”
During a packing session held in one of Northwell’s garage facilities, Vanboom estimated that the drive would result in over a ton of supplies that would fill 20 pallets.
Vanboom explained that Northwell and the nonprofit Supplies for Success purchased such back-to-school necessities as pens and pencils, paper and notebooks, crayons, magic markers, hand sanitizer and hand wipes. This year, five hundred book bags will be donated to Northwell families who expressed a need.
All the supplies will be distributed to families who cannot afford them. Supplies will be donated to needy students in Queens, Manhattan, Nassau and Suffolk counties; Staten Island and Westchester County.
Along with the essential supplies, the final item placed in each bag was a hand-written, inspirational note by the staff member who packed it. At the bottom of their bags, students will find such hopeful messages as, “Have a wonderful school year,” “You can do it,” and “Enjoy.”
Submitted by Michelle Pinto for Northwell Health.
