For many local children, getting ready for a new school year means picking out a backpack. At the Jamaica Square Improvement League’s seventh annual backpack giveaway, students did just that, as volunteers turned the event into a small shopping experience centered on each child.
The giveaway, held Aug. 8, brought together families, educators and volunteers from across Elmont. It began during the coronavirus pandemic with Clara H. Carlson Elementary School and eventually expanded to students throughout the Elmont Union Free School District. This year, incoming seventh graders from the Sewanhaka Central High School District also were able to participate.
Claudine Hall, president of the Jamaica Square Improvement League, said more than 900 backpacks filled with school supplies were collected. About 400 to 500 were distributed during the giveaway, and the rest will be kept for families who may need them throughout the school year.
“Whoever shows up gets a backpack,” Hall said.
The giveaway has become a communitywide effort, with donations from Hall’s Sewanhaka High School Class of 1984 classmates, retired elementary school teachers, retired principals, current educators, her church, friends and family. Members of the Elmont Union Free School District Board of Education also volunteered and donated.
The giveaway originally served children in the Jamaica Square area who attended Clara H. Carlson Elementary School. As participation grew, it expanded to students throughout the district. Sewanhaka Central High School District Superintendent Regina Agruso later extended the giveaway to incoming seventh graders.
But the backpacks are not simply handed to children when they arrive. Hall said volunteers make the process feel more like shopping, allowing each child to browse the available backpacks and choose one.
“We allow the child to pick what they want. It’s like they go shopping,” Hall said.
Volunteers walk with children through the selection area, asking about their favorite colors, characters and interests. The goal is to let children choose for themselves rather than having a parent choose for them.
“We want them to feel proud of what they selected,” Hall said.
Educators were among the volunteers helping children shop, and special education teachers were available to assist children who needed additional support. Hall said the individualized approach helps make the experience comfortable for every child.
Shirley Wheeler-Massey, vice president of the Elmont Union Free School District Board of Education, also volunteered at the giveaway and helped children choose backpacks. She said the experience showed her how much the community’s support means to local students.
“As a parent, as a veteran educator outside of New York City public schools, and as a community leader, I am just really beyond proud of the work our community is collectively doing to continually pour into our scholars,” Wheeler-Massey said.
Wheeler-Massey said some children arrived shy but became more comfortable as volunteers welcomed them and encouraged them to look around. The children often left smiling after having the chance to make their own selections, she said.
“They enjoy the moment, and their parents are just really appreciative and thankful,” Wheeler-Massey said.
The giveaway also begins with a prayer for the children, families and volunteers. Hall said the backpacks are not intended to provide everything a student will need for the year, but rather to give them something to get started.
For Hall, seeing children leave with backpacks they selected themselves has become one of the most rewarding parts of the annual giveaway.
“It’s so fulfilling. I wish I could do it twice a year,” Hall said.
