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Almost 900 school children in Metro
Detroit, identified by 18 local social ser-
vice agencies, nonprofit organizations
and schools, received new winter coats,
clothing, socks, underwear, hats, mittens,
school supplies, toothbrushes/toothpaste
and books in a drive-through event
called “Back 2 School Store” arranged
by National Council of Jewish Women,
Michigan (NCJW|MI) and held last
month.
The nonprofit organization, which
works to improve the lives of local
families, is known for organizing the
Back 2 School Store event every August,
where pre-identified Detroit children
are provided their own personal shopper
to choose the appropriate coat, cloth-
ing and school supplies. In 2019, 750
children attended the in-person event,
but during the last four years, the pro-
gram had to be modified because of the
pandemic, with clothing and supplies
distributed to hundreds of children via
agencies.
On Aug. 10, pre-registered organi-
zations including the Ennis Center,
Community Outreach Team, Starfish
Family Services, Orchard Children’s
Services, Detroit Parent Network, Hope
of Detroit Academy and others, had
assigned times between 10 a.m. and 1
p.m. to pick up bundles of clothing and
school supplies in the parking lot of
Hope of Detroit Academy. Each child
was identified to be in need by an agency
and received the aforementioned items.
Sallyjo Levine, president of NCJW|MI,
said, “The pandemic impacted so
many aspects of our lives, including the
national economy. With inflation at a
40-year high, families are expected to
pay up to 30% more for school supplies
this year compared to last year.
“We are really grateful for our donors
and volunteers who make this important
event possible year after year, no matter
what!”
PHOTOS COURTESY OF NCJW MICHIGAN
NCJW Back 2
School Store
faces&places
NCJW|MI volunteers
load up the Detroit
Parent Network van.
C.O.T. rep Debbie Barnett, Katie
Stocker, Ines de Jesus, C.O.T. rep
Paula Weiser, Emma Herdean,
C.O.T. rep Lauren Koenigsberg and
Evv Hepner.
Tim Brown, Orchards
Children’s Services
representative, and
Terry Hollander.
Susan Friedman, Curtis Simpson Jr.,
Corpus Christi Parish representative
Kameryn Simpson and Evelyn Cohn.
Suzanne Simon and Toya
Bridges, Detroit Parent
Network representative.
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