Printer Friendly Version - Last Call for Branford Residents to Register for CDR’s Free School-Supply Backpacks

To assist Branford families in need, Community Dining Room has gathered donations of hundreds of school supply items and plenty of brand-new backpacks, including this contribution of 100 new backpacks from Verizon Wireless of Guilford. Photo courtesy of the Community Dining Room

It’s no secret: gearing kids up to go back to school can be a very expensive time for many families. Branford residents finding it difficult to stretch their budget for that new backpack, stuffed with school supplies, can get everything they need—for free—but time is running out to be added to the recipient list.

Courtney Rosenberg, who coordinates the town-wide School Supply Collection Drive through non-profit Community Dining Room (CDR), said Branford residents should contact CDR this week to pre-register, in order for their child (grades K to 12) to receive a free, stuffed backpack on Tuesday, Aug. 21. Rosenberg is CDR’s volunteer coordinator.

Thanks to generous donations of items collected throughout the summer, the CDR school supply program annually gives away dozens and dozens of new backpacks and school supplies to Branford students in need.

This year, contributions from individuals, sponsors, groups, and organizations have once again helped CDR gather hundreds of needed school supply items and plenty of brand-new backpacks, including a contribution of 100 new backpacks from Verizon Wireless of Guilford.

Last year, the program provided more than 140 students in Branford with back-to-school backpacks filled with all of the essentials.

“Right now, our numbers aren’t as high as they were last year, but we tend to get the bulk of requests about this time,” said Rosenberg.

She said donations have been plentiful enough to accommodate at least as many students as last year, if not more.

CDR just needs to receive proof of residency to give the backpacks away. Parents or guardians of Branford students in need of a school-supply backpack are asked to sign up in advance by making a quick visit to CDR with valid identification to verify residency in Branford.

CDR is open seven days a week from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Rosenberg also welcomes phone calls from parents with any questions.

CDR will collect backpacks and school supplies until Friday, Aug. 17 and will distribute filled backpacks to pre-registered students on Aug. 21 during CDR’s Tuesday Night Dinner on the Branford Green. Branford public schools open for the first day of school on Tuesday, Sept. 4.

The Community Dining Room is located at 30 Harrison Avenue in Branford. For more information on the backpack program, contact Courtney Rosenberg at 203-488-9750 (ext. 2) or email crosenberg@communitydiningroom.org.