The 4th Annual Back to School Book Bag and School Supply drive assisted 90 Valley area children with book bags this year. A collection of 475 supplies allowed the children to receive approximately five supply items each.
Representatives from TEAM, Inc. in Derby, Covenant to Care for Children of Southern Connecticut, the Lower Naugatuck Valley Boys & Girls Club of Shelton, the Department of Family & Children’s Aid/Shelton Safe Home and the ACT, Inc./Spooner House in Shelton picked up book bags and supplies from J Cuts Barber Shop on Thursday, August 18th.
Once again, Vinny Cordone, owner of Cordone Landscape & Lawn Maintenance Service, was a major contributor donating 84 brand new book bags.
The Shelton Lion’s Club held their own collection and contributed 100 items to the donations.
Jennifer Sneider, owner of J Cuts Barber Shop located on Howe Avenue, Shelton, agreed to take over this annual community drive after Luther’s Garage of downtown Shelton closed their doors.
The former owners approached Sneider asking if she would like to serve as the main drop off location to allow them to continue their community work with her help.
She immediately agreed to help in any way.
“It is amazing how, even in an unfavorable economy, members of the community still come through for us to help children in great need,” says Jennifer Sneider.
The other community drive J Cuts Barber Shop took over from Luther’s is the Annual Monkey Love Valentine Drive.
They will be collecting stuffed monkeys beginning January 1, 2012 for abused, neglected, impoverished, needy children, foster children and children of Valley area soldiers deployed over the Valentine holiday.
Local businesses and organizations are encouraged to join in on the collection.
According to Meral Prewitt, coordinator of the Covenant to Care for Children Adopt a Social Worker Program, ”Many children choose to stay home the first couple of weeks of school because they don’t have what they need. Having a new book bag filled with school supplies helps build children’s self-esteem and keeps them in school. Since many schools have reverted to requiring uniforms this added expense for families struggling to put food on their table can be a tremendous hardship. Receiving the gift of a new book bag filled with school supplies is like a luxury item for them.”
