Edison Community Volunteers’ Back-to-School Drive Makes a Difference for the Fourth Year
Edison, NJ – A volunteer group in Edison that started during the Covid-19 pandemic has once again successfully completed its annual back-to-school supply drive. The supplies were donated to students in need at Monmouth County schools earlier this month, and today, additional supplies were donated to students at Edison’s Lindeneau Elementary School.
The donation event at Lindeneau was attended by Edison School District Assistant Superintendent Dr. Chris Huss, Communication and Policy Director Heather Daniel, Principal Donald Platvoet, and Jennifer Fisher, who were all present to receive the much-needed supplies.
The supplies were collected through the coordinated efforts of volunteer parents and students, led by the Edison Community Volunteer Group. They also received support from the Edison Pure Youth Foundation, Sai Datta Peetham, and Kinderzone. Some students even organized a concert called “Harmony of Hearts,” hosted card-making workshops for senior citizens and children, and participated in a “Little Library” initiative where they read over 200 books during the summer to help collect the supplies.
Some of the dedicated members of the volunteer group include Edison Board of Ed Presidential Biral Patel, Pallavi Karande Dutta, Neeraj Nagpal, Jyothi Kolanu, Varenya Amagowmi, Sravan Natakala, Akanksha Jain and many others. The group initially formed during the pandemic to provide food, PPE, and other necessities to the community and gained recognition for their vaccine appointment drive, where they helped over 1,400 residents secure vaccination appointments and even provided rides to those in need.
Throughout the year, the group actively engages in various volunteer activities, such as clothing drives and disaster relief efforts.
Board of Education President and group volunteer, Biral Patel, shared his thoughts on the successful drive: “This is our fourth year doing the back-to-school drive, and every year the amount of supplies increases. This year was by far the best in terms of supplies collected and donated. Our goal is to help the community with this drive, and I am very happy we are able to put smiles on so many children’s faces. Our group is growing, and we hope to continue engaging in volunteer activities to help the community. I wholeheartedly thank our incredible volunteers, the Edison Pure Youth Foundation, Sai Datta Peetham, and Kinderzone for all their help and support.”
This heartwarming initiative demonstrates the power of community and volunteerism in making a positive impact on the lives of those in need.
