Although there is nonetheless a month left of summer season family vacation, United Way of Western Connecticut Southern Litchfield County is getting completely ready to help students in kindergarten as a result of 12th quality commence the university 12 months on potent footing. They are carrying out this by way of United Way’s 31st once-a-year Back again-to-Faculty Marketing campaign.

As a result of this system, learners who qualify receive a new bookbag crammed with research provides these types of as notebooks, folders, pens, pencils, coloured pencils, and rulers.

Due to the fact the program’s inception in 1991, Katy Francis, the group influence coordinator for United Way’s Southern Litchfield County chapter, claimed the drive for the campaign is that “children that start out their schools with a good outlook will do better… particularly the young young children.”


As element of the campaign, Francis mentioned she sends the record of school supplies previous campaign donors, who then purchase supplies for distribution. She added financial donations assistance nutritional supplement what she doesn’t acquire from donors.

Though donors “get the motor began,” explained Francis, a New Milford resident. “Our volunteers are what make it work… I could by no means do this on my personal. These are regional persons helping their neighbors.”

From university-aged children to area group members, Francis claimed the volunteers at this marketing campaign are wonderful.

On distribution day, she said volunteers kind all the objects out and generate an assembly line to pack the provides into the backpacks. As mothers and fathers get there, they are checked off the record of names right before buying up the provides and signing for their gift cards.

“It’s become a really successful course of action for us,” Francis claimed.

United Way employs this program to assist family members that drop underneath ALICE, a United Way acronym that refers to people today and families that are asset restricted, money constrained and used.

Francis stated these are “hardworking, successful users of culture and they have to have a minor assist.” Each 12 months, she mentioned United Way is equipped to establish who is qualified for the method by the ALICE report, which shows family cash flow, quantity of little ones and other criteria.

“This presents the households that simply cannot pay for to do far more than the standard requirements a tiny bit of a crack,” Francis explained of the Back again to College Campaign, “and the provides are terrific. The youngsters really like it.”

Francis talked about United Way used to talk to moms and dads to present the group with their children’s most loved character and garments dimensions, and then United Way volunteers would go dresses browsing for the children.

Close to the campaign’s sixth or seventh 12 months of operation, Francissaid United Way commenced supplying mom and dad with gift playing cards.

For the duration of the COVID-19 pandemic, Francis claimed United Way gave parents a $50 grocery retail outlet present card and a $50 section retail store reward card this year, she stated they’ll go back again to office store reward cards so family members can purchase new outfits for their children.

To distribute the products, Marketing campaign volunteers manage a drive-up occasion held at the John Pettibone Community Centre, 2 Pickett District Road in New Milford.

Very last year’s Back-to-College Campaign helped 260 regional youngsters, and Francis explained she is looking forward to this year’s distribution, scheduled to be held at the John Pettibone Neighborhood Heart on Aug. 19 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Donations of things or cash can be produced up to Aug. 12. Goods the United Way is searching include Walmart reward cards, ballpoint pens, No. 2 pencils, coloured pencils, composition and spiral notebooks, crayons, two-pocket folders and highlighters.

To donate, contactFrancis at [email protected] or at 860-354-8800. To donate on-line or by mail, take a look at United Way of Western Connecticut’s web site at www.uwwesternct.org/backtoschool or mail to P.O. Box 29, New Milford, CT 06776.

United Way of Western Connecticut encompasses 7 communities, such as New Milford, Kent, Sherman, Washington, Roxbury and Bridgewater.