Our annual United Way Tools for School program, in conjunction with corporate and community partners, collected school supplies for 13,143 northern New Jersey students. Together, we ensured that school-aged children living in financial hardship were ready to start school with the tools needed to succeed.
Throughout August, 175 volunteers and 40 companies donated $100,596 in supplies and donations, including 2,007 backpacks valued at $70,707, $9,680 in donations and sponsorships, $20,059 in additional school supplies, and more. This comes amidst a dramatic demand – there was a 51% increase in requests compared to 2023.
“Despite the increase in New Jersey’s minimum wage, thousands of households across the state are still not able to meet the rising costs of goods and services,” said Kiran Handa Gaudioso, CEO of United Way of Northern New Jersey. “Thanks to our generous supporters, we were able to equip students with the necessary tools to succeed in the classroom.”
Families of school-aged children are budgeting an average of $141.62 for school supplies – not including the cost of clothing, shoes, and electronics, according to the National Retail Federation. Combined with the rising costs of necessities such as rent, food, child care, and medicine, as well as stagnant wages, this yearly expense is an added financial hardship.
United, we are working to ease the financial burden for households struggling to make ends meet. United Way Tools For School is just one of the many ways we support families living paycheck to paycheck. From joining our free tax preparation team to bringing joy during the holiday season, there’s an opportunity to help ALICE rise.
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