‘New Beginnings’ for Back-to-School

August 14, 2024
• With a new school year on the horizon, the Needham Community Council hopes to supply students with the materials they need to succeed.

Needham schools are back in session in two weeks, meaning students across grade levels will be gathering backpacks, pencils, notebooks and more before their first day. But those school supplies come at a cost, and different classes and teachers require specific supplies.

That puts low-income families in a tough position, but through donations, the Needham Community Council aims to arm local students with the financial freedom to choose the supplies they’ll bring to school.

As part of their annual “Give Back” To School program, the council will gift more than 200 $50 Target gift cards to those who utilize their food pantry, Executive Director Sandy Robinson said. About 150 of the more than 320 families who use the pantry have students, she said, but the program will also benefit adults seeking higher education.

In the season of “brand new beginnings and new opportunities,” learners should enter the school year with all the tools they need, Robinson said. And while the gift card may not cover all the costs, “it certainly helps take the sting out,” she added.

“As we all know, when September hits, life changes. Not only does the timing of things crunch down, but the expenses crunch down as well,” Robinson said. “All of a sudden you’re writing checks to all sorts of things.”

Food pantry households will schedule a pickup time for their gift cards, starting next week, where they’ll be greeted with ice cream and by Officer Rocket, the K-9 companion of the Needham Police Department, Robinson said.

Prior to the pandemic, families would visit the council and sort through pre-donated notebook paper, binders and other supplies, but through the gift cards, they can select exactly what they need.

The council has raised about $5,000 of their $10,000 goal for the program, Robinson said. She emphasized its ability to assist any student, regardless of age.

“That’s somebody that’s in elementary school, also going to college or maybe a certification program… maybe it’s a single mother going back to get her nurse’s license or something like that,” Robinson said.

In that spirit of new beginnings, adults can also seek out educational opportunities through the council, which is continuing its English Language Learning Program through the fall. With more than 80 tutors and about 200 active participants, the program teaches English to non-native speakers who live and work in Needham, ELL Program Manager Sheila Roberts said.

Before joining the council in April, Roberts volunteered in the program for about six years, tutoring a woman from Brazil who lived in Needham and had children in the school system. Her client worked online at home, meaning she only spoke and worked in Portuguese, Roberts said, but she hoped to communicate better with her children’s teachers.

Apart from the language gap, it’s also an isolating existence, Roberts said, but tutors report their enjoyment connecting with one of their neighbors and forming a friendship. In that way, the program is an extension of the council’s mission to “create a stronger community, helping individuals in their day-to-day lives,” Roberts said.

“It’s a nice chance for them to go and practice, and also to meet people in the community like themselves,” Roberts said. “That’s part of it too, is to start to feel connected.”

The council will onboard new language tutors this fall, and 18 new volunteers were trained last spring, she said. The council also offers classes and group learning opportunities.

There’s a satisfaction that comes with language learning, Roberts said, as you’re able to watch as people hone their skills and “graduate out,” get jobs and use their English in the workforce.

“The nice thing about it is, when you do this volunteer work, you definitely impact someone’s life,” Roberts said.

The Back-to-School campaign was recently featured on the Needham Channel News. You can watch that report in the window below.