By Helen Klein
While students may be looking forward to summer vacation, some Flatbush residents are getting ready for back-to-school. The Newkirk Area Neighborhood Association (NANA), working in conjunction with the Flatbush Development Corporation (FDC), has kicked off its 2005 school supply drive, urging area residents and businesses to contribute either needed items or money to help put together packages of brand-new supplies for children living in 10 of the borough’s homeless shelters. At the May meeting of Community Board 14, which was held at Edward R. Murrow High School, 1600 Avenue L, NANA president Hynda Lessman spoke of the program. “Every year for the past four years we have been collecting contributions in kind and in money for school supplies for elementary age students living in homeless shelters in Brooklyn,” recalled Lessman, who said that bags were also distributed to students at P.S. 217 and at a school in Hoboken, near where one NANA member works. Last year, she said, the group had put together a total of 800 bags for needy students. In addition, she said, “Because of the hurricane, this past year, which devastated a lot of the islands in the Caribbean, we sent 200 packages to an elementary school in Grenada. “I am coming before you as individuals to contribute to this drive,” Lessman went on. “The children dearly appreciate it. We have gotten letters, each year, hand-written in pencil, in pen and in crayon, and drawings, saying how much they appreciate, when they start in school in September, having the supplies they need. “This year,” she added, “The need is greater. This year we would like to distribute at least 1,000. The population in homeless shelters has grown.” The supplies needed are pens, #2 pencils, notebooks (no spirals), rules, three-ring binders, erasers, ruled notebook paper and folders. Supplies can be dropped off, until the end of July, at FDC, 1616 Newkirk Avenue. Checks payable to NANA can be sent to Hynda Lessman, president, 601 East 18th Street, Brooklyn, NY 11226.
