Clarkstown Retired Teachers Help People To People Fill Backpacks

The 700 members of the Clarkstown Retired Teachers continue to help children with their education by donating funds for backpacks. The group provided $2,500 to People to People on Tuesday to purchase backpacks and school supplies for 60 needy students. 

Margaret Gentillo said the group’s annual dues paid by retired teachers, teaching assistants and clerical staffers are used to fund the program.

People To People Executive Director Diane Serratore said more people are struggling financially in Clarkstown and throughout Rockland County and the need for assistance with school supplies has grown. 

“Four years ago it was like 18, now it’s 60,” she said, adding 31 filled backpacks will go to kindergarten through eighth graders and 29 to high school students.

The backpacks will contain grade specific materials such as notebooks, pencils, crayons, calculators, magic markers, glue sticks and pocket folders. Serratore said the children get to select from a variety of green, red, blue and yellow backpacks and three different sizes.

“We provide them with starter kits,” Serratore said. 

Even having the basics can make a big difference for students.

Retired Clarkstown Teacher member Angie Nelson said, “It’s good for them to have it to start off with.”

Board Members Henry Cahill, Judy Gebe, Joan Andrzejewski and Barbara Gottlieb joined Gentillo and Nelson at the check presentation. Gentillo said the group also holds a brunch in the fall at which they collect canned goods and money to contribute to People To People. For the first time this year, Gentillo said a graduating senior from Clarkstown North High School and Clarkstown South High School each received a $250 scholarship from the Clarkstown Retired Teachers.

Serratore expects People to People’s Back To School With Dignity Program to provide backpacks to the children of their 1,876 beneficiaries as well as to Family Resource Centers in several school districts, probably bringing the number to 2,300.  She explained the child’s family must be a regular beneficiary of People to People’s services and meet their income eligibility requirements. She said the Clarkstown backpacks will be distributed later in August; already 250 were given to Haverstraw students.

“There are kids in need from every corner of Rockland County,” she said.

Serratore said Orange & Rockland donated $5,000; Provident Bank gave $1,000; Flaregas of Nanuet provided $2,500 and Assemblywoman Ellen Jaffee obtained a New York State Department of Education grant of $3,000 for the Back To School program.