Annual School Supply Drive Kicks Off In Berkeley

BERKELEY, NJ — As families prepare to go back to school, not everyone is able to afford the necessities their children need. Berkeley Township's annual school supply drive is now underway, distributing things like backpacks and notebooks to local students who need them the most.

Mayor John Bacchione and the township Recreation Department are seeking donations for the drive. These items are needed:

• Backpacks
• Notebooks
• Safety scissors
• Pens and pencils
• Erasers
• Colored markers
• Glue and glue sticks
• Crayons
• Rulers

School supplies can be dropped off at the recreation center at 630 Atlantic City Blvd. in Bayville, the mayor’s office at the Municipal Building at 627 Pinewald-Keswick Road, or the recreation center booth at the summer concerts in Veterans Park. Donations can be dropped off until Aug. 28.

“We hope for a great response from our community and businesses to make this year’s school supply drive the best one yet,” Bacchione said.

“A backpack of supplies might not seem like much to us. But to a young child, starting the school year without the supplies they need to learn can be devastating. When we give a child a backpack, we are giving hope, and we are giving a future. We appreciate any and all donations and thank the community for their generosity,” he said.

If you know kids who are in need of school supplies, the New Hope Baptist Church in Manitou Park has been hosting a "backpack fun day" for the past few years. This year, organizers hope it will be bigger than ever.

The event this year will be a "Back to School Jam" and all are invited. It will be held at the church, 171 11th St., Berkeley, on Sept. 14 from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Not only will backpacks and school supplies be given away, there will also be live music, food, ice cream and games for the kids. The event is free to all.