BACK TO SCHOOL SHOP Gears Up for Year Three!

Back to School Shop, the Stamford organization that enables economically disadvantaged elementary school children to shop for brand new school clothes and supplies, is hard at work making sure their third annual event on July 30 is just as successful as the prior two. The program, founded by two members of the Stamford community, Meryl Japha and Jane Levene, creates a one-day “pop-up store” so that children can have the experience of choosing their own new items for school at no cost to them. Over 50% of the students in Stamford are considered economically disadvantaged, and unfortunately they aren’t usually able to participate in the back to school shopping rituals that so many of their peers enjoy. “We really believe that all children should have the opportunity to experience the excitement of preparing to go back to school” says Co-Founder Japha “and we believe that this experience can help to play a role in making sure that they start school with the confidence and enthusiasm that they need to have a successful year.”

Back to School Shop is an entirely volunteer run organization. An all-volunteer Steering Committee works throughout the year to raise funds, purchase clothes, recruit volunteers and work with the social workers in the Stamford Public Schools to identify the children most in need of the program. “I am in awe of how we have been able to sustain and grow this program with a staff of dedicated volunteers” says Co-Founder Levene. “We are extremely fortunate and grateful for their commitment” As the Back to School Shop prepares for their event on July 30th, they have begun recruiting the additional community volunteers they will need to make the event come to life. Volunteers serve as personal shoppers, sneaker fitters, check-in and check out facilitators, dressing room attendants, translators and many other positions. Lorraine Kweskin and Debby Lione co-chair the volunteer recruitment effort. “To achieve our goal of serving up to 250 children this year, we’ll need about 150 volunteers on the day of the event”, says Kweskin “We are so fortunate that so many people in our community come out to support this program, year after year.” Adds Lione, “ Many of them tell us that working with these children and seeing the joy that it brings them, makes this the most rewarding volunteer work they do all year.”

Ricky Arbron, president of United Jewish Federation of Stamford, New Canaan and Darien, and a volunteer at each event since the inception, remarked “I have really enjoyed volunteering for the Back to School Shop event each year. It’s amazing to see the smiles on the kids’ faces. This program is a really wonderful event for the Stamford community, and we are proud that UJF played a role in helping them to get it up and running.”

To get more information about Back to School Shop, to make a donation, or to register to volunteer at this year’s event, visit www.ujf.org/backtoschoolshop.