Helping Hands Summer Drive

            Helping Hands in
West Islip, Inc., a tax-exempt charity founded by local resident Jennifer
Gallozzi in 1990 to
serve the needy of Suffolk County, will be
collecting new or gently-used backpacks, totes and decorated bags before
9:30am on Wednesday, June 11, 2014, at the West Islip Fire Department, 309 Union Boulevard, West Islip (across from
American Legion Hall). 

            The backpacks should contain school supplies and other
treats to help children finish this school year and prepare for the next and to
get through the summer when school lunches and play supplies are not available,
such as non-perishable kids meals (granola
bars, cereal boxes, fruit cups, fliptop tuna, crackers, soups, juice boxes), small toys, flip-flops, beach towels, jump ropes, balls,
chalk.

            While
Jennifer and her volunteers may not be able to change a child’s life
circumstances, they can give them happy moments through gestures of love and
caring, one smile at a time.  Helping
Hands processed one box of donations in 1990; last year it gave out more than
100 backpacks and used vans and buses to serve over 5,000 mostly children Long
Islanders.  It has always operated on a
zero budget and survives solely through the generosity of the public.  HH is always in desperate need of supplies
such as candy, tape, brown lunch bags, large trash bags and money.  Please consider running a bake sale or carwash
or even a home party and donating the proceeds. 
A link has been added to facilitate financial donations throughout the
year, http://www.freewebs.com/hhinwi/apps/donations/. 
More information can be
obtained at www.freewebs.com/hhinwi or contact jengallozzi@optonline.net
and like us on Facebook  https://www.facebook.com/HelpingHandsInWestIslip.