Tina Cadella, LNV-PCRC, Child First - Early Childhood Clinician; and Karen Martinez, LNV-PCRC, Child First - Care Coordinator prepare book bags and supplies for children serviced by their agency.
J Cuts has launched the eleventh Annual Book Bag & School Supply drive in the Valley.
Between now and August 22nd, book bags and school supplies are being collected around the Valley.
Last year, over 130 book bags, and an abundance of back to school supplies, were collected.
The main collection location, J Cuts, is located at 505 Howe Ave., downtown Shelton.
Supplies may include book bags, book covers, rulers, pens, pencils, erasers, notebooks, binders, glue, crayons, calculators, pencil sharpeners, paper and folders. Supplies are collected for all school-aged children from pre-school to high school. All book bags and supplies must be brand new.
“The outpouring of kindness within the community always warms my heart,” says Sneider. “So many people stop by to drop off donations. Many of my customers do not hesitate to hand me five or ten dollars so I can pick up what we are falling short on. It is amazing how it all balances out for children in need!”
For the second time last year, Bright Horizons Day Care, 3 Corporate Drive in Shelton, held their own collection and dropped off donations.
In addition, Barb’s Corner Consignment located at 25 West Main St. in Ansonia, joined the drive last year by taking up a collection.
Minuteman Press, located at 427B Howe Avenue in Shelton, donated collection posters once again.
Other local businesses and organizations are invited and encouraged to join in by holding collections of their own to add to the donations.
For a third year in a row, coordinators of the drive were contacted by Jackie Romaniuk, Dental Health Care Specialist with the Connecticut Dental Health Partnership (CTDHP), the dental plan for HUSKY Health. They provided oral kits each containing a tooth brush, toothpaste, floss and oral health education.
According to Romaniuk, “The oral health kits contain tips to keep the mouth healthy as well as the importance of maintaining a healthy mouth for the benefit of a person’s general health. The beginning of the school year traditionally correlates with starting new routines and habits. This seems like the perfect opportunity to spread the oral health message of the importance of daily oral hygiene and scheduling a dental exam.”
HUSKY Health members can contact the CTDHP call center at 855-CT-DENTAL or visit www.ctdhp.com for help connecting to one of the 1,900 dental providers available.
Over 200 oral kits were given to all students who received back to school donations, as well as, the Milford Department of Children & Families office.
Children receiving donations from this community drive last year are serviced by TEAM, Inc. and Bradley School in Derby, along with the Boys and Girls Club of the Lower Naugatuck Valley, and the Lower Naugatuck Valley Parent Resource Center (LNV/PCRC), all of Shelton; along with BHcare in Ansonia.
“The Boys and Girls Club of the Lower Naugatuck Valley is forever grateful for receiving backpacks and dental kits to support our families in need,” says Jen DeLeon, Unit Director. “The smiles on our member’s faces are absolutely priceless as they feel so much more confident getting ready for their first day of school!”
J Cuts is also the main collection location for the Annual Monkey Love Valentine Drive. The 12th annual drive will begin January 1, 2018. Although this community drive officially kicks off on January 1st, donations are accepted at any time. For safety and allergy reasons, donations must be new, stuffed monkeys with tags.
The monkey drive benefits the same groups of children in need as the Back to School Book Bag & School Supply Drive.
For more information on either community drive, call Jennifer Sneider at J Cuts, 203 – 924-4107.
