Westhampton Beach High School Teen Lauded for Helping Kids in Need

WESTHAMPTON, NY - A Westhampton Beach High School teen was lauded recently for her work to help students in need.

Sophomore Ariana DeMattei recently received a proclamation from Suffolk County Legislator Bridget Fleming for “outstanding efforts to the improvement” of her community.

For the past four years, DeMattei has worked to provide backpacks filled with school supplies to East End elementary school students in need through a fundraising project that she created, Backpacks for Fellow Students.

The effort began as a bat mitzvah project, but has continued to flourish — to date, Backpacks for Fellow Students has provided more than 750 backpacks to local kids.

Photo courtesy of the Westhampton Beach School District