BGC distributes free school supplies this Saturday

By ARDEN BASTIA
Posted 8/26/21

By ARDEN BASTIA On Saturday, August 28, the Boys and Girls Club of Warwick will distribute free school supplies to all students, kindergarten through grade 12, at the Oakland Beach Branch. Supplies will be handed out on a first, come first serve basis

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BGC distributes free school supplies this Saturday

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On Saturday, August 28, the Boys and Girls Club of Warwick will distribute free school supplies to all students, kindergarten through grade 12, at the Oakland Beach Branch.

Supplies will be handed out on a first, come first serve basis from 9 to 11 a.m.

In an interview Friday, Boys and Girls Club director Eleanor Acton said the organization is “happy we can be a central part of the community, helping kids and families who need us now more than ever.”

Through drives held by the Warwick Police Department, HarborOne Bank, and another anonymous donor, 634 backpacks full of school supplies are ready for Warwick students to pick up.

Each backpack has a variety of supplies, like notebooks, folders, packs of pencils, crayons, markers, dry erase boards, index cards, scissors, glue sticks, tissues, hand sanitizer, and more.

“This is a big deal for parents, it kind of feels like Christmas,” said Acton. “We do various community events where we hand out school supplies or food, but I believe this is the first time we’ve done a big city-wide distribution.”

Acton shared that the event is COVID safe, all participants need to do is drive up and volunteers will put supplies right into the car.

“We are very excited and thankful that community-minded companies and the Warwick PD are helping Warwick students and their families at a time of year that can be expensive and stressful,” said Boys and Girls Club of Warwick CEO Lara D’Antuono in a press release issued last Wednesday. “With the National Retail Federation estimating families will need to spend an average of nearly $60 per child more than last year on back-to-school items, this generosity couldn’t come at a better time.”

Acton says she “never knows what to anticipate” but expects the event to be a success.

“I believe there is a big need for many parents, since many lost a lot of income during the pandemic. They could really use this help with school supplies,” she said. “Kids are really excited to get a brand new backpack full of what they need to get a good start at school.”

Boys and Girls Club, school supplies

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