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Be Kind: New York Cares fills 5K backpacks with school supplies

Thursday, August 12, 2021

New York Cares fills 5K backpacks with school supplies

A local charity is making sure thousands of students start the school year with the supplies they need.

HARLEM, Manhattan (WABC) -- A local charity is making sure thousands of students start the school year with the supplies they need.

Volunteers with New York Cares filled 5,000 backpacks on Wednesday at a Salvation Army community center.

Each bookbag was filled with pencils, paper, scissors, erasers and other essential items kids need in the classroom.

Organizers say the backpacks are especially important this year for families hit hard by the pandemic.

"Being able to provide back-to-school essentials is critical for families," said Chief Development Officer Jenny Goldschein. "All children were affected by COVID-19, in particular communities which were already at high-need were set back even further."

New York Cares will deliver the backpacks to community groups and public schools in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens and the Bronx.

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