Local Youth Support BACK TO SCHOOL SHOP

Plans are coming together for the 2nd annual Back to School Shop event. Volunteers are being recruited, funds are being raised, and lots and lots of school clothes and supplies are being purchased so that each child will be able to find just what they are looking for at the event’s “pop-up” store on July 31st.

“We are so excited about our second annual event” said Meryl Japha, Co-Founder and Co-chair of the event. Last year, at our inaugural event, we were able to serve 120 children, and this year, thanks to wonderful community support from volunteers and donors, we have been able to register over 200 children!”

Co-Founder and Co-chair, Jane Levene, added “We are particularly touched by the support we have received from young people in the community. A Stamford teenager made a successful grant application to CT Block Party, a foundation that encourages young people to get involved in philanthropy, on our behalf. He was thrilled and so were we when his application resulted in a grant to Back to School Shop.”

Back to School Shop also received a donation from the JCC Sara Walker Nursery School for the second year in a row. Explained Anne Liss Johnson, the Managing Director of the Nursery School, “each week the children bring a donation (tzedakah) to school and 3 times a year we decide where the donation should go. We always try to present these two, three, and four year olds with an option that they can really understand. Back to School Shop was a perfect fit with both the children’s understanding and with our theme ‘Mitzvah’ or ‘good deed.’ We explained to the students that not every child is able to get new clothes and school supplies, but that through their donation they can help these children choose brand new items for school. We were all excited to be able to support Back to School Shop again this year.”

New this year was the support of a group of philanthropically minded 10th and 11th graders from United Jewish Federation’s Kuriansky Teen Tzedakah Corp. According to UJF’s Director of Education and Engagement, Marcia Lane, the group is designed to prepare teens for leadership roles and engaged citizenship in the community. “The participants decided they wanted to focus on family and children’s issues,“ explained Lane, “and they spent a long time researching various organizations and their missions, budgets and programs." In the end, Back to School Shop was one of two organizations that the group voted to support. Co-chairs Japha and Levene attended a meeting with the group on June 8th to receive the donation. Eleventh grader Gedalia Koehler presented them with a check and explained that the group was inspired by the way Back to School Shop not only provided needed clothing and supplies to children in need, but also allowed the children to have the experience of choosing their own brand new items, so that they could return to school feeling more like their classmates. "What an impressive, caring group of young people“ exclaimed Levene. "We are grateful and honored to be supported by them.”

The Back to School Shop’s 2nd annual event will be held on July 31st, and will serve over 200 Stamford K-5 children, selected by social workers in the Stamford Public School System. All items for Back to School Shop are purchased by volunteer shoppers with funds raised from individuals, foundations and local organizations. Special thanks go to Platinum Star Sponsors Audrey and Norbert Gaelen, Meryl and Ron Japha, and Al’s Angels as well as Gold Star Sponsors The Louise J. Kuriansky Foundation and Nan and Paul Gordon.

To find more information about the program or to make a donation, visit www.ujf.org/backoschoolshop, or follow Back to School Shop on Facebook at www.facebook.com/backtoschoolshop.