NYSUT Donates School Supplies to JFK Magnet School

Second graders at John F. Kennedy Magnet School will receive a little more than they bargained for when they arrive for the first day of school this year.

Students are set to receive brand-new school supplies, courtesy of the New York State United Retired Teachers of Westchester/Putnam County.

On Wednesday, September 1, benefactors of the Shoe Box Project donated 150 shoeboxes chock-full of colored markers, pencils, crayons, and pens, in addition to other school items.

All six teachers accepting the donated items will also be getting a bin filled with books and other classroom supplies to be shared with other colleagues.

With the phrase, "Once an educator, always an educator," serving as a slogan for the cause, past teachers of various townships around the county happily helped to give back to the Port Chester community this week.

The project was coordinated by Chairwoman of NYSUT Retirees Shoebox Committee, Doris Blank, who came up with the idea for the project after her experiences seeing the devastation left behind by Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans.

 As one of the first groups of volunteers on the scene in New Orleans, she was shocked and saddened by the images of destruction that surrounded her. Her experiences made a deep impression on her as she saw entire schools and libraries that were completely razed to the ground.

It was then that she thought, "Can't we do something to help?"

That moment was the beginning of her becoming part of a team that helped coordinate different committees that worked together to ship over two thousand books to those who, in the wake of the devastation, no longer had common necessities, much less books. 

"We came up with the [Shoe Box Project] to keep the efforts close to home in our community," said Blank.

With the help of other Shoebox Committee members who were volunteers recruited from the NYSUT Retiree Advisory Council, the project took off. Those who became members included Suzanne Carlock of SW BOCES, Mary Curtis of Irvington, Roni O'Connor of Pelham, Rhoda Stephens of Hendrick Hudson, and Dolores Thompson of Mamaroneck, all representing different school districts where each educator spent their career.

Blank, reflecting on the steadfast determination of those who volunteered, was extremely pleased at the progress they've made. The committee-members were able to go above and beyond the goals they set for themselves, exceeding expectations.

 "It is interesting to examine the motivation which led to this project and which inspired members of the committee to spend endless hours collecting, sorting, and distributing supplies," she said.

Looking around at the scattered bins and boxes deposited at the front of the Upper Building, it is clear that the hard work of NYSUT will not have been in vain when students at Port Chester's JFK Magnet School use these items to better their education and set themselves on the path to long-lasting academic success.