NJCCA is looking for volunteers to help with this important project by donating school supplies and building 100 backpacks for inner city elementary school students.
The kindergarten classes at McKinley Elementary School in Newark were chosen based upon need and logistics as the recipients of NJCCA's Build-A-Backpack donation.
NJCCA plans to donate 100 backpacks with school supplies and a new book. Volunteers will be asked to donate school supplies and assist with assembling the backpacks at the networking event.
Volunteers will be encouraged to bring their children to help with packing the backpacks.It is planned that this project will be completed mid-August, culminating with a small team of volunteers delivering the backpacks during the week of September 7th to McKinley Elementary School in Newark.
If you would like to contribute, please contact Gail Girard ([email protected] or (609) 312-7772) to receive a list of the supplies and books. Donations should be shipped or delivered by August 7 to Rebecca Brazzano at Thompson Hine LLP, 335 Madison Avenue, 12th Floor, New York, NY 10017 or Valerie Camara at Merck & Co., Inc. (Valerie Camara RY60-30; Merck & Co., Inc., 126 East Lincoln Avenue, Rahway, N.J. 07065).
Building the backpacks with school supplies will be done at a fun-filled event to be held on Wednesday, August 12 at the Hanover Marriott, 1401 Rt. 10 East, Whippany, New Jersey, sponsored by the Marriott and Thompson Hine. Wine, soda and hors d'oeuvres will be served. Coffee and dessert will be available to encourage in-house counsel to continue to network after all the backpacks are filled. Details on the networking event will be sent out in a follow-up email.
Bret Parker, chair of NJCCA Pro Bono and Outreach Committee, Evaleon Hill, chair of NJCCA Women's Networking Committee, Michael Prokop, cchair of the Career Management and Transition Committee, Valerie Camara, NJCCA president and Rebecca Brazzano of Thompson Hine are helping to organize the project. Rebecca Brazzano of Thompson Hine, Larry Samilow of Update Legal and NJCCA have already offered their generous support by underwriting the cost of the backpacks needed for the project, and Axiom has again agreed to provide the volunteers with t-shirts to commemorate this event.