100 Backpacks Filled For Local Children, Thanks To Mahwah Residents

MAHWAH, NJ — 100 backpacks were filled with school supplies for Bergen County students from low-income families last week, thanks to residents of the Apple Ridge community in Mahwah.

As part of the Bergen Volunteer Center Tools For School program, Apple Ridge Activities Committee members collected items to donate that will be distributed to families struggling financially, the center's CEO Nina Bachrach said in a letter to the committee.

"We are so appreciative of the generous donations," Bachrach said, "and we know the students will be excited to receive their new school supplies."

Reaching over 8,000 area residents each year, the school tools drive, she said, is an "important cornerstone" of Bergen Volunteer's community engagement.

One in five children who live in poverty, CNN reported, do not have access to school supplies. Supplies donated to the center, Bachrach said, enable students to feel confident and instill a sense of standing equal with their peers when they arrive at school.

"It is impossible to put a value on the self-confidence this inspires within a child," Bachrach said.

Encouragement notes were also written for students as part of the initiative, David Warshaw, a board member for the volunteer center, said on Facebook.

"On behalf of the board and staff at Bergen Volunteers, thanks for your support," Warshaw said. "Students across Bergen County will benefit from your generosity."