Donors help gift more than 600 children backpacks, school supplies

Alexandra Weliever, The Patriot Ledger
·1 min read

QUINCY — Donors gave backpacks and school supplies to more than 600 children to ease back-to-school expenses as part of Interfaith Social Services' August backpack drive.

The organization runs one of Greater Boston's biggest emergency food pantries, a homelessness prevention program and a mental-health counseling center.

The group's food pantry runs programs throughout the year, including the backpack drive.

Employees of HarborOne Bank assembled more than 1,000 backpacks for several community nonprofits, including Interfaith Social Services of Quincy.
Employees of HarborOne Bank assembled more than 1,000 backpacks for several community nonprofits, including Interfaith Social Services of Quincy.

“After such a hectic year, we hope to provide children with some stability by making sure they have the supplies they need to return to the classroom,” Interfaith’s Family and Children Program Manager Emily Ryan said. “Back-to-school costs don’t fit into the budgets of many of our client families. We’re so grateful to all the donors that help us alleviate some of these expenses.”

Many businesses and individuals donated to the backpack drive this summer to make back-to-school costs easier for parents to handle, the group said in a statement. Some of the local businesses that contributed backpacks, supplies and funds include the Bank of Canton, Bay State Milling, Black Rock Country Club Women’s Golf, the Braintree Council Knights of Columbus, Congregation Beth Shalom of the Blue Hills, Families4Families, First Church of Squantum, FoxRock Properties, HarborOne Bank, Hingham Congregational Church, and Paige Landscape Company.

More: Newsmaker: Interfaith Social Services elects Gabriel Arato as president of board of directors

The backpacks were filled with notebooks, pens, pencils and other supplies by volunteer groups like Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, IntelyCare, and SIGNET Electronics Systems.

Brian Paige, of Paige Landscape Co., drops off more than 70 backpacks filled with supplies to Interfaith Social Services. Volunteers distributed more than 600 backpacks to the children of Interfaith’s food pantry clients in August.
Brian Paige, of Paige Landscape Co., drops off more than 70 backpacks filled with supplies to Interfaith Social Services. Volunteers distributed more than 600 backpacks to the children of Interfaith’s food pantry clients in August.

To learn more about Interfaith's programs, contact Family and Children Program Manager Emily Ryan at eryan@interfaithsocialservices.org.

Thanks to our subscribers, who help make this coverage possible. Please consider supporting quality local journalism with a Patriot Ledger subscription.

Reach Alex Weliever at aweliever@patriotledger.com.

This article originally appeared on The Patriot Ledger: Interfaith Social Services donate back to school backpacks to students