Jefferson Telecom customers and employees were among those who helped New Opportunities assist 120 families – a total of 243 children- with school supplies for the coming school year.
Pictured are Jody Schulte (left) of Jefferson Telecom and Teresa Lansman of New Opportunities with supplies collected at Jefferson Telecom.
In previous years Adopt-a-Family has conducted the school supply drive. This year New Opportunities stepped into that role. Lansman explained that New Opportunities and Adopt-a-Family have worked together the past couple of years to provide school supplies, winter coats and Christmas food baskets. “The community is so generous to help us help families. Each event is amazing in the donations we receive,” Lansman said.
“It was a little scary when this many children were looking for supplies, but donations and phone calls came in and because of the help of an entire community, we did it. Not one, but all of us,” she said.
Lansman estimated that the list of school supplies, including a backpack, costs about $50 per child. “That kind of expense can leave a family short on rent money or food for the month,” she said.
With the community’s participation, New Opportunities was able to provide backpacks for students up to 10th grade and all the needed school supplies except for a few classroom items.
