HELPING HANDS ANNOUNCES SUMMER DRIVE

Helping Hands in West Islip, Inc., a tax-exempt charity founded by local resident Jennifer Gallozzi in 1990 to serve the needy of Suffolk County, will be collecting school supplies loose or in new/gently-used backpacks, totes and decorated bags before 9:30am on Tuesday, June 16, 2015, at the West Islip Fire Department, 309 Union Boulevard, West Islip (across from American Legion Hall).
We also need treats to help children finish this school year and prepare for the next and to get through the summer when school lunches and play supplies are not available, such as non-perishable kids meals (granola bars, cereal boxes, fruit cups, fliptop tuna, crackers, soups, parmalat, juice boxes), small toys, flip-flops, beach towels, jump ropes, balls, chalk.
While Jennifer and her volunteers may not be able to change a child’s life circumstances, they can give them happy moments through gestures of love and caring, one smile at a time. Helping Hands processed one box of donations in 1990; last year it gave out more than 100 backpacks and used vans and buses to serve over 5,000 mostly children Long Islanders. It has always operated on a zero budget and survives solely through the generosity of the public. HH is always in desperate need of supplies such as candy, tape, brown lunch bags, large trash bags and money. Please consider running a bake sale or carwash or even a home party and donating the proceeds. A link has been added to facilitate financial donations throughout the year, http://www.freewebs.com/hhinwi/apps/donations/. More information can be obtained at www.freewebs.com/hhinwi or contact jengallozzi@optonline.net and like us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/HelpingHandsInWestIslip.