DHSS Press Release |
Date: October 1, 2003 DHSS-101-2003 |
| Vincent P. Meconi, Secretary Allison Taylor Levine, Communication Director (302) 255-9037, Pager (302) 247-8523 |
Contact: Allison Taylor Levine Phone: (302) 255-9037 Pager: (302) 247-8523 |
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
ADOPT-A-STUDENT SENDS 1,500 NEEDY STUDENTS BACK TO SCHOOL WITH BACKPACKS AND SUPPLIES
Community helps program top its own goal by more than 900 backpacks, tripling last year's numbers
[Note to media: Several Middletown families that have benefited from the Adopt-a-Student program are willing to be interviewed. Representatives from the Whatcoat Shelter and the John Charlton School in Dover also are willing to be interviewed about how the program has helped their clients. Please contact Allison Taylor Levine at the above numbers to be connected with these individuals.]
The Adopt-a-Student program distributed more than 1,500 backpacks with school supplies to students around Delaware during August and September of this year. This exceeds the program's 2003 goal of helping 600 students statewide by more than 150 percent, and it rises far above last year's work, when the program was able to help 550 students.
The Adopt-a-Student program, a unit of the Adopt-a-Family program, is administered by Delaware Health and Social Services' Division of State Service Centers. Last year, the program helped 350 children in New Castle County and 200 children in Kent and Sussex counties, but had to turn away more than 200 qualified students statewide. This year the program set a goal of providing 600 students statewide with school supplies, and organizers anticipated that an additional 200 qualified students would be turned away again.
But several private individuals and corporations donated to the program, helping Adopt-a-Student reach more than 1,160 students in New Castle County and more than 325 students in Kent and Sussex counties. Enough materials were available that no students were turned away, and program coordinators sought out additional eligible students to receive the unexpectedly large number of backpacks.
"I am delighted and impressed by how our community has stepped forward this year to ensure that Delaware's children have appropriate back-to-school supplies," Governor Ruth Ann Minner said. "It may seem like a small thing, but having enough paper, pencils and other tools make it much easier for students to learn and concentrate on their schoolwork."
Among the largest community sponsors were ING Direct Kids' Foundation, which donated 600 filled backpacks; AstraZeneca, which donated 421 filled backpacks; and Bank One, which donated 173 filled backpacks. Additional community sponsors contributed a total of 268 filled backpack, and Hair Cuttery donated 500 haircut gift certificates for children in New Castle County.
Adopt-a-Student also received $10,513 in monetary donations, which enabled the program to buy 844 shoe store gift certificates for the eligible families to buy back-to-school shoes.
The Adopt-a-Student program would like to thank all contributors to this year's program. The program will begin collecting donations next summer for the 2004-05 school year.
In the meantime, program organizers are beginning to focus on the holiday drive for Adopt-a-Family. Individuals and companies interested in adopting a family for the holidays or otherwise supporting Adopt-a-Family are asked to contact the program at the end of October. Those interested in volunteering to work with Adopt-a-Family are invited to call anytime.
- In New Castle County, call (302) 792-9538.
- In Kent County, call (302) 739-3145.
- In Sussex County, call (302) 424-2780.
To make monetary donations, please mail checks to Adopt-a-Family of New Castle County, 3301 Green St., Claymont, DE 19703; or Adopt-a-Family of Kent/Sussex Counties, 13 SW Front St., Milford, DE 19963.
Delaware Health and Social Services is committed to improving the quality of the lives of Delaware's citizens by promoting health and well-being, fostering self-sufficiency, and protecting vulnerable populations.
