Helping Children In Need Prepare

Could you imagine starting school without even a pencil or notebook? Surprisingly, thousands of children do each year, but Astoria Federal is asking for the public's support to erase this problem with their 8th Annual Kids Tools for School Collection Drive.

This community program puts new school supplies in the hands of those children least able to afford them, including hundreds of homeless children. Astoria Federal has once again teamed up with various schools and organizations to distribute the supplies before school starts in September.

New school supplies, or cash donations for supplies, can be dropped off at any neighborhood Astoria Federal branch throughout Brooklyn, Queens, Nassau, Suffolk and Westchester during the month of August. Astoria Federal is committed to "Putting people first" in the neighborhoods they serve, and will match up to $10,000 in cash donations to purchase supplies in bulk.

"We are very proud of this important program, because it sheds light on a big problem that most people aren't aware of," said Astoria Federal Senior Vice President and Director of Marketing Brian Edwards. "It can cost parents hundreds of dollars to get their children the necessary supplies for school and, for many, this cost is too burdensome to handle. Since this program began, we've collected over six tons of supplies to help children in need, many of whom live in homeless shelters or have other special circumstances."