Pitching in for back to school: Community helps give backpacks, supplies to youth
MEL TOADVINE A $500 donation to buy backpacks for local students was delivered to Lehigh Community Services last week by Lt. Brooke Ricciardi, left, with the Lehigh Acres Fire Control and Rescue District. Accepting the check is Rae Nicely, executive director of the agency.
The first day of school for the Lee County Public Schools is Aug. 10, and hundreds of students in Lehigh Acres will be happy when they are given a school backpack filled with school supplies.
That is the word from Rae Nicely, executive director of Lehigh Community Services, who is handling the project to give students free backpacks.
“If it wasn’t for the wonderful people and business groups and others, such as some of the churches, this would not even be possible. I can’t tell you how proud I am of these wonderful people,” she said.
Last week, Nicely received a $500 check from Lt. Brooke Ricciardi from the firefighters of the Lehigh Acres Fire Control and Rescue District.
“It’s our gift to the children in Lehigh for school backpacks,” Ricciardi said with a big smile on her face.
Lehigh Community Services has been collecting backpacks and handing them out at their agency days before school starts. But last year and again this year, they are able to do so more efficiently.
Nicely said she contacts the counselors at the local elementary and middle schools and asks if they would like to be part of the program to benefit students in need.
“All the school guidance counselors said yes,” she said. “There were 10 schools whose students needed backpacks.”
At the end of last week, Nicely said schools had gotten back to her and there was a need for at least 700 backpacks.
“That’s a big list, but because of the firms, churches and organizations in Lehigh, we will make the goal for sure,”?she said.
The new backpacks come filled with notebook paper, pencils, scissors and other items that they must have by the first day of school.
“We have different designs for the children who attend the elementary schools. They may have bright-colored cartoon characters on them, while the backpacks for older students are in nice colors,”?Nicely said.
Other donors included New Life Assembly of God, AMVets Post 65, First Christian Church, Disciples of Christ Development Center, State Farm agent Teresa Goodlad, MedExpress Urgent Care, Christ United Methodist Church and the Greater Lehigh Acres Chamber of Commerce.
Nicely noted that Christ United Methodist Church donates gift cards to buy sneakers for the students instead of backpacks.
“We couldn’t do any of this without the help of all these wonderful people,” she said. “These people step up to the plate and are happy to help us.”
Nicely said they buy the backpacks at a discount from a Tampa firm that works with agencies.
Most of the backpacks will be presented to students during each school’s open house this week and next week, some just a few days before schools open.
Pitching in for back to school: Community helps give backpacks, supplies to youth
MEL TOADVINE A $500 donation to buy backpacks for local students was delivered to Lehigh Community Services last week by Lt. Brooke Ricciardi, left, with the Lehigh Acres Fire Control and Rescue District. Accepting the check is Rae Nicely, executive director of the agency.
The first day of school for the Lee County Public Schools is Aug. 10, and hundreds of students in Lehigh Acres will be happy when they are given a school backpack filled with school supplies.
That is the word from Rae Nicely, executive director of Lehigh Community Services, who is handling the project to give students free backpacks.
“If it wasn’t for the wonderful people and business groups and others, such as some of the churches, this would not even be possible. I can’t tell you how proud I am of these wonderful people,” she said.
Last week, Nicely received a $500 check from Lt. Brooke Ricciardi from the firefighters of the Lehigh Acres Fire Control and Rescue District.
“It’s our gift to the children in Lehigh for school backpacks,” Ricciardi said with a big smile on her face.
Lehigh Community Services has been collecting backpacks and handing them out at their agency days before school starts. But last year and again this year, they are able to do so more efficiently.
Nicely said she contacts the counselors at the local elementary and middle schools and asks if they would like to be part of the program to benefit students in need.
“All the school guidance counselors said yes,” she said. “There were 10 schools whose students needed backpacks.”
At the end of last week, Nicely said schools had gotten back to her and there was a need for at least 700 backpacks.
“That’s a big list, but because of the firms, churches and organizations in Lehigh, we will make the goal for sure,”?she said.
The new backpacks come filled with notebook paper, pencils, scissors and other items that they must have by the first day of school.
“We have different designs for the children who attend the elementary schools. They may have bright-colored cartoon characters on them, while the backpacks for older students are in nice colors,”?Nicely said.
Other donors included New Life Assembly of God, AMVets Post 65, First Christian Church, Disciples of Christ Development Center, State Farm agent Teresa Goodlad, MedExpress Urgent Care, Christ United Methodist Church and the Greater Lehigh Acres Chamber of Commerce.
Nicely noted that Christ United Methodist Church donates gift cards to buy sneakers for the students instead of backpacks.
“We couldn’t do any of this without the help of all these wonderful people,” she said. “These people step up to the plate and are happy to help us.”
Nicely said they buy the backpacks at a discount from a Tampa firm that works with agencies.
Most of the backpacks will be presented to students during each school’s open house this week and next week, some just a few days before schools open.
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