Donate Backpacks, School Supplies To Lunch Break, Red Bank

RED BANK, NJ — Lunch Break is having its annual Back to School Drive now through Aug. 1, all in preparation for the big backpack giveaway Aug. 19 at the Community Picnic.

The social services resource center is known for helping financially insecure schoolchildren and their families with life's basic necessities - and that includes school supplies.

Each year during the annual Community Picnic at Count Basie Field in Red Bank, more than 800 backpacks containing school supplies are distributed to families who need a boost to prepare their children for the upcoming school term.

"We are grateful to our generous community for helping us to prepare our children for a successful school year. Every child, no matter his or her family's financial situation, deserves a chance to succeed. These necessary supplies are among the ways we can motivate our youth to engage in the learning experience," says Executive Director Gwendolyn Love.

This year's Community Picnic will take place from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 19 at Count Basie Field and will feature picnic fare and some healthy options in accordance with Lunch Break's Nutrition Initiative "Healthy Together." There will also be games for all ages, and the annual softball championship. The picnic is open to community members free of charge.

Having the required school supplies not only helps to raise a child's self-esteem, it equips them with the tools necessary for a successful learning experience, the organization says.

Those who would like to donate backpacks and school supplies, including pens and pencils, loose leaf binders and paper, erasers, pencil cases, highlighters, among other traditional items, may do so from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Mondays to Fridays at the Lunch Break Warehouse, 968 Shrewsbury Ave., Unit 5, Shrewsbury. For more information, e-mail [email protected].

Lunch Break, Drs. 121 James Parker Blvd., provides food, clothing, social services, housing solutions, fellowship and life skills to those struggling with financial insecurity as a path to well-being and self-sufficiency, the organization says.