Children pictured with their new school supplies at the 2023 backpack drive.
Reminder Publishing submitted photo
ENFIELD — The Educational Resources for Children, Inc, ERfC, will have its annual backpack and school supply drive on Saturday, Aug. 24 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Enfield Food Shelf, and will offer free backpacks and school supplies for Enfield students in kindergarten to grade 12.
The backpacks will be filled with pencils, crayons, markers, erasers, pens, glue sticks, folders, notebooks and lunch bags.
Executive Director Joseph Mullock said, “Our hope is to create a collaborative community effort to make school supplies available to the children in Enfield whose families are on a tight budget to purchase the supplies for the start of the school year.”
He continued, “Last year’s event was very successful. It was my first one and we partnered with the Enfield Social Services. Over a thousand families attended and we were able to pass out over 1,300 backpacks and school supplies. We’re trying to reach more families in the community this year. Our goal is to hit 1,400 backpacks and any donation from the community is greatly appreciated.”
ERfC is a community-based nonprofit agency that provides academic, enrichment and recreational activities for students during out-of-school time hours. Its mission is to team with communities, schools and families to grow resilient children through innovative community collaborations.
ERfC has hosted its annual backpack drive for almost 10 years. The idea for the event came from the organization thinking about its mission — how do they cater to their families and provide the necessary resources for their children’s success in Enfield.
Mullock said, “Since we are an educational-based program, we are at the schools. The purpose behind the event is to ensure every student has an equal chance in the classroom. When students have the necessary supplies, the impact is significant, and we’ve seen that for years throughout at our programs.”
Mullock told Reminder Publishing community support is key to the success of the annual backpack drive; knowing that the community helps put a smile on a child’s face as they put the new backpack on is truly priceless. Every collection ERfC receives, large or small, helps them reach their goal and ensure that students are ready to start the school year.
“It’s the opportunity to give back to families in the community,” Mullock shared. “Seeing the excitement on the children’s faces when they receive their new backpacks for the start of school is the most fulfilling part. The community supports us, so this is the least we can do for the community is give back to the families and children.”
For more information about the backpack and school supply drive, contact Aaliyah Ellison, ERfC marketing and events manager at ellisona@erfc.us or call the office at 860-253-9935 to speak with Mullock.
