Happiness is a backpack full of school supplies, a new outfit and new sneakers for the first day of school – especially for children whose families are impacted by poverty and homelessness.
That’s why HomeFront hopes to distribute about 1,500 backpacks filled with school supplies and new outfits later this month. The nonprofit group, which is headquartered in Lawrence Township, helps the homeless and the working poor.
But HomeFront is short by about 250 backpacks to meet its goal of giving out 1,500 backpacks, and is seeking donors to help fill those backpacks with the same fresh, new things that other children have on the first day of school.
HomeFront clients’ children often lack the basic resources to succeed in school, which can limit their future opportunities, HomeFront officials said.
But donating a backpack with school supplies and providing the children with a new outfit for the first day of school can help to level the playing field for them and give them a chance to succeed, said HomeFront CEO Sarah Steward.
“We believe that children have limitless potential,” she said. “To reach their academic potential, it is important that children feel confident and prepared for school.”
Helping HomeFront client families with backpacks and other necessities make getting ready for the first day of school a joyous occasion – as it should be for parents and children – and starts the children on the path to a successful year in the classroom, Steward said.
Interested donors – individuals, businesses, corporations or groups – are invited to become donors to fill those backpacks.
It is easy to sponsor a child or to donate school supplies by signing up at HomeFront’s website at homefrontnj.org, by telephone at (609) 989-9417, ext. 150, or by email to homefront@homefrontnj.org.
Donors who choose to sponsor a child with new clothing will be provided with the child’s age, sex, clothing size and shoe size, plus the school supplies that are needed.
The shopping list for clothing may include a new shirt and pants or a skirt, new underwear, socks, and shoes or sneakers.
Donors may also wish to provide gift cards for clothing and shoes at stores such as Old Navy, The Children’s Place and Target. Gift cards should be handed directly to HomeFront staff to avoid getting misplaced.
An Amazon wish list also is available on HomeFront’s website.
A donor may choose to fill a backpack with school supplies – from the backpack itself to notebooks, a three-ring binder with paper, folders, pens, No. 2 pencils, colors pencils, eraser, highlighters, rulers, glue stocks, tape, crayons and safety scissors, officials said.
For older children in middle school and high school, donors may provide a scientific calculator, a geometry set, a stapler, a composition notebook and subject dividers.
Optional items may include tissues, hand sanitizer and hand lotion in travel size, ear buds or headphones, flash drives and portable chargers with USB-C cable, and period products for age-appropriate students.
HomeFront is requesting all items to be delivered to its headquarters at 1800 Princeton Ave. by Aug. 16 so they may be distributed before the first day of school.
Donations can be dropped off weekdays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., and on Saturdays between 9 a.m. and noon.
A financial contribution to HomeFront’s back-to-school drive is another way to make school a positive experience for a child, officials said. There is a special fund that allows children to participate more fully in the school experience.
The fund covers many small expenses that occur throughout the school year and that are out of reach for many HomeFront families, such as the costs of school trips, class pictures, special need tutors, SAT fees and manuals, and clothing for hard-to-fit children, HomeFront officials said.
For more information, visit www.homefrontnj.org.
