Public Employee Press

CNR students collect supplies for poor kids

"Community service begins at home" is the motto students at the DC 37 Campus of College of New Rochelle followed in its "Totes for Teachers" supplies drive.

"We collected school supplies for public school students and homeless children," said CNR DC 37 Campus Director Dr. Patrice Gouveia-Marks, as she packed totes with boxes of crayons, disinfectant wipes and notebooks.

"The entire campus worked on this project. Now we are presenting the supplies to Local 372, and they will decide how to distribute them."

Program participants included many DC 37 members who attend college nights and weekends in addition to holding down full-time jobs, as well as staff and faculty at the union campus.

Together they contributed enough school supplies to fill the 16 tote bags campus leaders presented in April to Board of Education Employees Local 372 President Santos Crespo, Jr.

The local represents workers such as School Aides, Crossing Guards, Cooks and drug counselors who play a vital support role in the educational process for the city's 1.1 million public school children in grades kindergarten through 12.

"We are sending these supplies to the city's most needy - the school children who live in the city's homeless shelters and are serviced by Paraprofessionals in Local 372," said DC 37 Associate Director Henry Garrido.

In New York City, about 40,000 children live in public shelters, says the Coalition for the Homeless. DC 37 members in Locals 371 and 1549 provide vital services for homeless families in the system. "This is a great way to support the work we do. It helps us build our community right here at the union," said Crespo. "We all can help by giving back and reaching out to help the next generation of public school children."