Courtney Luciano Photo
River and Stevens with school supplies they donated for fellow students.
Jayleani Rivera and Zonasia Stevens are keeping optimistic about adapting to the upcoming school year and overcoming the obstacles of Covid-19. In the meantime, they joined their families on Saturday to donate school supplies at the Dixwell police substation on Charles Street.
“It’s fun to go back to school,” said Stevens, who will be attending Edgewood Magnet School. “I like to go on the playground.”
The playground won’t be an option possibly until after the first marking period in October. The decision to start the school year with remote-only learning was officially declared by the Board of Education on Wednesday night, pending a sign-off from the state.
Regardless, community members agreed that school supplies remain a costly necessity. Dixwell Management Team, Varick Memorial Church, ConnCAT, the New Haven and Yale police departments organized the donation drop-off to assist impoverished families in preparing their children to go back to school.
All of the school materials donated from the drive will be given away at the substation from 1 – 3 p.m. on Aug. 15. There will also be free food and ice cream, free masks, and Covid-19 testing provided by Cornell Scott Hill-Health Center.
ConnCAT donated $400 to Dixwell Management Chairperson Nina Silva, who bought a plethora of Cra-z-art markers, folders, pencil boxes, glue sticks, pens and pencils from Walmart in Hamden for Saturday’s drop-off. Silva, who works as a paraprofessional at John C. Daniels School, said she saved a remainder of approximately $100 to purchase more supplies that come up short after the donation drive.
“Teachers give a lot in the classroom, so now with the Covid, each student has to use their own item. There’s no way they can share. They can’t share even a box of crayons,” Silva said. “So whether they’re at home or they’re at school, each student needs their own supplies.”
Brown, Lt. Manmeet Colon, Silva, and Officer Bryan Phillips, who helped with Saturday’s drive.
Lt. Manmeet Colon sent out a mass email requesting donations to neighbors in East Rock, Newhallville, and Dixwell, where she serves as top cop. Residents are encouraged to bring supplies to the Dixwell substation throughout the week.
“Especially nowadays, a lot of people don’t have jobs and they can’t afford to go buy even a little bit of school supplies. Especially if they have multiple kids,” Colon said. “So anything that can help our community members to thrive and continue to get their kids through school, even online.”
Ann Dallas (pictured) from East Rock donated two tie-dyed JanSport backpacks, pens, and pencils.
“Donations are important because you should do things for kids,” said Dallas. “They’ve got to think that school is a great thing and nifty!”
Dallas heard about the donation drive from Alder Steve Winter’s newsletter.
Winter (pictured) said he has been working with local agencies and churches to arrange next Saturday’s handout. “Anything that we can do to make kids feel some sense of normalcy, rhythm, and routine is crucial,” said Winter. “They’ve been out of school for so long. All of the students, teachers, and staff need to feel safe and be safe.”
Silva intends to give each child who attends the Aug. 15 giveaway a book bag filled with each of the supplies given.
Silva said as a parent she wants her kids to go back to school but agreed that health comes first. From her perspective as an assistant teacher, she said she’s afraid to contract the virus and bring it home to her special-needs son.
“My son has been inside since March, and it’s affecting him,” Silva said. “I would love for him to go back to school, but no, I wouldn’t send him back.”
Diondrea Brown, neighborhood specialist for Dixwell for the Liveable City Initiative, assisted in collecting the supplies with the Dixwell Community Management Team. Brown has three children including a baby, a 10-year old, and a 12-year old. Brown has been concerned in particular about her son, who has gained weight during quarantine.
“For health reasons, as a mom, how do I say to my son that he can’t go outside and be active because of the virus? I’m stuck between a rock and a hard place,” Brown said. “Regardless, they still need supplies either way. It’s nice that the community could come together and help out a little bit.”
For anyone interested in donating school supplies, drop off at Dixwell substation or contact either Nina Silva at [email protected] or Steve Winter at (203) 903‑4342.
Thank you to all the wonderful people and businesses donating school supplies for students who will be returning to school this fall. Making sure each child has their own school supplies will help children look forward to education during these difficult times. Drawing supplies like crayons, markers and drawing paper will help children express their anxieties and help them find joy while living through this terrible experience.