This is a printer-friendly version of an article from Zip06.com.
07/06/2021 02:25 PMThough students only finished the 2020-’21 school year about two weeks ago, Guilford Social Services is asking residents to remember just how much a strain back-to-school can be on many families, kicking off its annual fundraising drive meant to help underserved local families prepare for another potentially unprecedented school year.
Having learned plenty of lessons themselves during the pandemic, Social Services Director Tammy DeFrancesco said a heightened need and uncertainty around what next school year will look like makes it is more important than ever to start early, asking those in Guilford who are able to help out their neighbors.
“We honestly don’t know what kids are going to need this year,” she said.
In its 23rd year, the annual back-to-school drive has both grown exponentially and changed dramatically from what it was in years past, DeFrancesco said. Volunteers no longer try to stuff individual backpacks—after being forced to pivot to mostly dealing in gift cards last summer, she said officials and volunteers realized this was actually a much easier, more suitable way to assist families.
“This way, they can use it to purchase what it is they need, for how they are going to be studying, [and] how they are going back to school,” she said. “It worked out so much nicer for people.”
Because every teacher, school, and family is different, stuffing backpacks meant that some families got too much of one supply or not enough of another, according to DeFrancesco. With gift cards, everything is personalized and people can shop on their own time, she said.
Besides gift cards to big box stores like Staples and Walmart or online retailers like Amazon, DeFrancesco is asking for certificates to any local business that could provide school supplies, as well as local barbers and salons for back-to-school haircuts.
Shoe store gift cards are also a need, according to DeFrancesco, with Social Services having previously worked with Payless and the Salvation Army, but more recently depending on residents for shoes.
The hair cuts started as something that local businesses offered several years ago and quickly became an extremely important part of the program, DeFrancesco said. Shoes also remain a big need, and are often some of the more expensive items families have to buy.
For the first time this year also, Social Services has an official Amazon wishlist and anyone who wants can purchase an item that will be shipped directly to the distribution location, according to DeFrancesco.
“Basically everything you see there is things that we try to provide each child with,” she said.
Social Services still has excess backpacks for younger grades that were donated in year’s past, but there remains a need for backpacks for older students.
With questions about what school will look like next year, DeFrancesco said making sure families have time to prepare by getting gift cards to them as soon as possible is a priority for her.
Tax free week, which is usually the third week in August and makes a wide variety of clothing items exempt from sales tax, is the approximate deadline DeFrancesco hopes to hit, getting gift cards to needy families in time to save a little extra money. The official deadline for the back-to-school drive is Aug. 6.
Gift cards can be dropped off at Guilford Social Services at 263 Church Street. For more information, visit the Guilford Social Services Facebook page or call 203-453-8009.