This Community Cares

Dear Friend,

This month, I’m happy to bring greetings as the Chair of the IW Board while Courtney Hall is on a well-deserved break.

I recall growing up as a young boy in Brooklyn NY, along with my siblings in a single parent household, how special it felt to receive and wear something new each year before school. Whether it was new shoes, clothes, or a backpack, I, as I’m sure you all did, relished that feeling.

I’m pretty sure that feeling isn’t any different today, except that some of the circumstances and conditions of going to school have changed to some extent. Students today must deal with food insecurity and healthy nutrition challenges, school security issues, teacher shortages, peer pressure and bullying, what to include or not to include in the school curriculum or libraries, and so many other issues.

On top of all of these are inflationary market conditions which has made it increasingly difficult to purchase those basic items which make them feel good, refreshed, encouraged, like they fit in, all in the hopes of learning and succeeding in the classroom.

Last Saturday, I had the pleasure of attending Park Potomac’s Ice Cream Social for Charity. For the past 15 years the Park Potomac community and a committee of dedicated volunteers helmed by Bruce and Margo Fonoroff have planned, coordinated, and executed the Social. This completely volunteer-run event helps prepare Montgomery County students to go back to school by equipping them with brand-new donated backpacks to be distributed to families at the Interfaith Works Essential Needs Center. Over the course of 15 years, the Ice Cream Social has contributed more than 19,000 backpacks to the IW campaign.

This outpouring of community kindness is just one example of the thousands of people and organizations who have supported IW’s back-to-school campaign every year. Please support IW’s back-to-school campaign to help us let families know that “We’ve Got Your Back!”

Today the average cost of purchases for back-to-school supplies is $890.00 per family. This can be extremely challenging for families.

By simply providing backpacks and supplies, although it doesn’t offset the larger problems, it gives students some sense of encouragement and uplifts their spirits. IW goes beyond providing backpacks and supplies, and helps with clothing, home goods, and food to help fill an even greater need. Interfaith Works, along with all our neighbors, work together to meet this gap. By working together, it shows that we care and support all those around us.

Interfaith Works, our neighbors in Park Potomac, the IW staff, IW Board members, and this entire community cares.

Sincerely, 

Frank White, IW Board of Directors Chair