Stamford's 'Back To School Shop' Celebrates 10th Anniversary

STAMFORD, CT — Back to School Shop, a community event organized to provide a wide range of new school clothes and supplies to children of low-income families, will celebrate its 10th anniversary at its annual event on Sunday, July 28, at Davenport Ridge Elementary School in Stamford.

Back to School Shop will help mark the occasion with special treats for the children, including free ice cream, and tokens of appreciation for its volunteers.

"I want to congratulate the Back-to-School Shop on their 10th Anniversary event," said Mayor Caroline Simmons in a news release. "For 10 years, they have hosted this important event which enables children to shop for brand new school clothes and supplies. The city of Stamford is grateful to the Back to School Shop and their volunteers and donors for organizing this wonderful resource for our community."

"We are so proud of what we have accomplished these past 10 years, as an all-volunteer, non-profit organization," added co-founder Meryl Japha. "At our first event, we served 125 children. This year we are expecting to serve over 400. Since our inaugural event in 2015, over 2800 children have been outfitted for school by Back to School Shop. We’re also delighted that thanks to generous donors we’ve been able to expand the items we offer to participants over the years."

Children from kindergarten through fifth grade, who have been identified and registered by elementary school social workers in Stamford Public Schools, will be able to select their own brand new items in a department store environment created just for them. All of the clothing, backpacks and school supplies are purchased by volunteers with funds raised from individuals, foundations and other organizations.

Sarah Arnold, a social worker at Roxbury Elementary School, said "even the youngest students are surprisingly aware of family finances and the expense of purchasing back to school clothing. Thanks to the Back to School Shop they can feel good about returning to school with a new wardrobe that did not present any additional hardship to their parents."

Over 50 percent of Stamford students are considered economically disadvantaged and many return to school each year without basic clothing and school supplies, according to Back to School Shop co-founder, Jane Levene.

"We are tremendously grateful for the over 700 volunteers and over 600 donors who have joined with us over the past 10 years to ensure these children are able to choose new items they need and want for school. We hope that it helps to give the children a sense of confidence and enthusiasm as they start the new school year," Levene noted.

The Back to School Shop event runs from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. in the Davenport Ridge Elementary School gymnasium, which is transformed into a department store setting for the event.

With the assistance of volunteer "personal shoppers," each child is escorted throughout the store to select new clothing for the upcoming school year including shirts, pants, sneakers, socks, underwear, winter coats, hats and gloves, and new this year, a hoodie.

In addition to the clothing, children also choose a water bottle and lunch box along with a new backpack, which they fill with school supplies, and books.

As a special 10th anniversary treat, the participating children will have an opportunity to meet local children’s book author, Valerie Bolling, who will sign copies of some of her latest books for the children. All the items chosen by the children are provided at no charge.

While the children are shopping, their parents and caregivers visit the on-site Japha Family Resource Center where they can meet with representatives of community organizations, who provide information about important services that may be available to them.

Among the many organizations that will be on hand are Building One Community, Community Health Centers, Kids in Crisis, Children’s Learning Centers, St. Joseph’s Parenting Center, Child Guidance Center, and Community Action Agency of Western Connecticut.

The Schoke Jewish Family Service Mobile Food Pantry will also be at the event to provide a selection of groceries to participating families.

Back to School Shop, Inc. is an all-volunteer 501(c)(3) non-profit organization founded by long-time Stamford residents, Japha and Levene, who want to ensure that every child in Stamford, even those in difficult circumstances, experiences the excitement of getting ready to go back to school.

For more information about the Back to School Shop, click here.