Southfield

Homeless students to get school supply-filled backpacks

By Jennie Miller
C & G Staff Writer

» Click on image to view full size « Photo by Edward Osinski Alexis Moss, 9, of Bloomfield Hills puts spiral notebooks in a bag to donate to homeless schoolchildren in Oakland County, as part of a philanthropic effort through the National Council of Jewish Women in Southfield Aug. 25. Photo by Edward Osinski Alexis Moss, 9, of Bloomfield Hills puts spiral notebooks in a bag to donate to homeless schoolchildren in Oakland County, as part of a philanthropic effort through the National Council of Jewish Women in Southfield Aug. 25.

SOUTHFIELD — In one important way, they’ll feel just like every other student.

Homeless children in Oakland County will be outfitted with brand-new backpacks filled with school supplies, thanks to the National Council of Jewish Women, who gathered to stuff the packs in Southfield Aug. 25.

“This is tremendous,” said Susan Benson, director of community programs and special projects for Oakland Schools. “We couldn’t do this without the NCJW. I think it makes a difference between kids succeeding and … falling through the cracks.”

This year, nearly 2,000 children will be served by the Homeless Student Education Program in Oakland County, and that number has been increasing every year due to the economic crisis.

“The average age of a homeless person in the county is 9,” Benson said. “That’s the average age of a homeless person — not of a homeless child, and what that tells us is the average homeless person is a child. We need to make sure that school is a priority and that kids have what they need in terms of supplies.”

Enter the National Council of Jewish Women — Greater Detroit Section, operating for 120 years, currently with 1,800 members, mostly from Oakland County.

“Our mission is to help women, children and families in any way we can,” said Sue Simon of West Bloomfield, vice president of community outreach for the NCJW.

“We were always looking at what the needs are in the community and trying to meet those needs,” added Susan Gertner of West Bloomfield, executive director of the NCJW, adding that the backpack project is one of many the group spearheads throughout the year. “Having a child start school with the right supplies helps eliminate some of the stress in their lives.”

The organization purchased nearly $12,000 worth of supplies, including spiral notebooks, loose-leaf paper, pencils and folders. Three different backpacks were packed according to grade level — the high schoolers will get calculators, and the elementary schoolers will get scissors, crayons and magic markers.

Donations were provided by DeRoy Testamentary Foundation and the Filmer Memorial Charitable Trust.

The effort spreads awareness about homelessness among children in the county, and also helps “to make a difference in a child’s life,” Gertner said.

Claire Kretchmer, 73, of Huntington Woods, a member of the NCJW for 60 years, brought along her grandsons, Blaine Tikey, 13, and Ryan Tikey, 17, to help prepare the backpacks for delivery.

“It’s a wonderful organization, and we do such fabulous things,” Kretchmer said.

Some 50 people turned up at the NCJW headquarters in Southfield Aug. 25, the second day of the effort.

“Every time we have something like this where we need volunteers, we have this kind of response,” Simon said. “It’s a group of bright, energetic women who want to do good works in the world.”

For more information about the NCJW, call (248) 355 3300, email mail@ncjwgds.org or visit www.ncjwgds.org.
 

You can reach C & G Staff Writer Jennie Miller at jmiller@candgnews.com or at (586)279-1108.