Backpacks to Be Provided to 17 Kinnelon Students

In the shuffle of shopping for "back to school" items, it's easy to forget the needs of those students whose parents cannot afford fancy backpacks filled with electronic gadgets and the latest trends in school supplies. Some parents can barely afford the bare minimum on their children's school lists.

For this reason, Gail Flammer, of the Kinnelon Health Department, and Melissa Giacoio, a Kinnelon resident, started Kinnelon's Annual Backpack Program in 2005. The program provides backpacks and school supplies to Kinnelon students in need in grades K-12.

Giacoio got involved after seeing the program advertised by the health department.

"I thought it would be nice to be involved in the community," she said.

Now every August, Giacoio begins asking her friends and family members, and then the entire community, for donations of notebooks, pens, pencils, rulers, highlighters, erasers and, of course, backpacks, through postcards, emails, phone calls and messages in the Smoke Rise newsletter. By the end of the month, Giacoio said she is always impressed by the generosity of her neighbors.

"We have some very wonderful families here," she said.

In addition to school supplies, some Kinnelon residents even offer monetary and gift card donations, which are provided to those students who would like to pick out their own school supplies.

This year, Flammer said there are 17 students signed up to benefit from the backpack program, and will begin receiving their school supplies on Thursday. Flammer reaches out to the parents of the students who she sees on a regular basis utilizing the borough's food pantry.

Flammer said there have been less students signed up to participate in the backpack program this year than last year, mostly because some of the students requesting supplies last year have graduated high school and moved on to college.

What some find surprising, Flammer said, is that even in Kinnelon, there are families in need of these kinds of supplies.

"You don't realize that there are people in need everywhere," she said.

There are extra backpacks in addition to the ones already committed to the students who are signed up, but Flammer said the backpacks are handed out by appointment only. The backpack distribution is limited to Kinnelon families only, she said.

If you are interested in receiving a backpack for your child, contact Flammer at 973-838-5403 ext. 5.

Flammer said they are still accepting donations as well, and that families need supplies not just in the beginning of the year, but throughout the school year as well.

"We're not picky, we'll take anything," she said.

If donating gift cards, Flammer said she prefers to receive gift cards of $25 and under.

Flammer and Giacoio said they would like to thank all the community members who have donated to the program this year and in previous years.