Groups aid students in 3 high-poverty U-46 schools

The Kids in Need Foundation and Newell Rubbermaid are again supporting the children in U-46. They began in 2009, with a donation of 500 backpacks to help homeless students in the district.

This year the group will be supplying $30,000 worth of school supplies to every student in three of the district’s elementary schools with high poverty rates. Children at Parkwood, Oakhill and Ontarioville elementary schools arrived on the first day of school to find new supplies and a book waiting on their desk.

Patricia Gonzalez, principal at Parkwood, found a special way to thank this group. She invited Kristine Cohn of the Kids in Need Foundation to the school to meet the students and their parents. Cohn took her up on the invitation. She was warmly welcomed at a parent meeting that started the school year.

Dr. José Torres attended the meeting to recognize the efforts of the foundation and Newell Rubbermaid in helping U-46 students get off to a great start. He stated that “The Kids in Need Foundation and Newell Rubbermaid have been great friends to U-46 and our students. This donation comes at a time when families are struggling and it means a great deal.”

Cohn and Torres then visited classrooms in the school to talk with students and teachers. Cohn then continued her visit in the district at Oakhill Elementary School.

And the homeless students that this all started with were not forgotten. A donation of supplies also went to Project ACCESS, the district’s homeless program. Already this school year over 200 students are a part of the program.

Ÿ Send Your news to nbrcalendar@dailyherald.com.