A Year of Planning.
A Week of Set-up.
A Day of Shopping Smiles and Joy!
Sunday, July 28 dawned bright and sunny and Back 2 School Store volunteers took their places, ready to welcome hundreds of children and their families for a day filled with shopping, community and smiles!
Our 16th annual Back 2 School Store was off and running as the doors of Millburn’s Congregation B’nai Israel opened. Children entering grades K- 5 this fall were invited by nearly 40 social service agencies, churches and schools to participate in the Store. Close to 500 students arrived with parents and caregivers, ready for a special shopping experience and a day they will never forget.
Personal shoppers lined up to meet the children and guided them through the Store, browsing racks of shirts and pants and helping them choose the perfect color, design and size. Next came a set of socks and underwear, enough to last each child a full week, followed by one of the most popular stops: Coats.
A brand-new, warm winter coat seems silly in July, but the children’s faces said otherwise. Pointing at shiny silver and gold or green hearts with a warm purple lining or a cool all-black or grey design, volunteers slipped coats on and off the children’s shoulders, checking the fit, and more importantly, watching as the kids checked themselves out in the mirrors along the wall. Selection made, the coat made its way into the bag, quickly followed by a matching hat and gloves.
The ensemble was complete!
Sneakers are Back!
With an entire corner of the main shopping area dedicated to measuring sock-clad feet, trying on to get the right size, then then taking a few hops and steps, sneakers were definitely back! This year marked the return of sneakers to every in-person shopper’s Back 2 School Store bag. Some children could not wait until the first day of school, and proudly wore their new kicks for the remainder of the shopping journey and all the way home.
Yes, there's more!
No back-to-school list would be complete without supplies and books. Children stopped by the Book Nook to choose two titles based on the kinds of books they like to read. From there, it was off to select a backpack filled with supplies like paper, pencils, crayons and more. The Rotary Club of Livingston once again donated dental kits with toothbrushes, toothpaste and floss for each child.
Welcome Special Guests
The Back 2 School Store welcomed several special guests on Sunday. State assembly member Rosie Bagolie joined us again this year, visiting many of our partners in the Gaelen Family Resource Center and shopping with several children. Livingston Town Council members Shawn Klein and Ketan Bhuptani and Millburn Mayor Annette Romano also stopped by and journeyed through the Store helping children fill their bags.
For Parents and Caregivers: GFRC
Audrey Gaelen, long-time supporter and sponsor of the Gaelen Family Resource Center, saw first-hand the wonderful community partners who shared resources, information and more with parents and caregivers. University Hospital offered glucose screenings, blood pressure checks, and hearing screenings, the League of Women Voters helped register voters before the upcoming election season, and Girls Helping Girls.Period. gave each visitor a bag filled with menstrual products. Many people also took advantage of free vision screenings courtesy of Project BEST.
The Big Finish!
Taking a cue from an election year, children voted for their favorite part of the Back 2 School Store, placing a sticker on a board representing their choice. Surveys – and a few last-minute accessories – completed the day. The children met up with their parents and caregivers, excitedly showing off all their new stuff… and headed off with a little more confidence and ready to learn.
It Takes a Village
The Back 2 School Store is NCJW/Essex’s signature event, with close to 300 volunteers giving their time to make it happen. Elizabeth Brandwein Cohen, Sherri Fendelman and Danielle Kurlander served as co-chairs for 2024, leading a Steering Committee who sourced all the clothes, bought all the books, organized all the backpacks, helped recruit and train our volunteers and generally did everything possible to make the day a success.
A special shout out to our Honor Roll of Donors and our wonderful roster of Sponsors, whose excitement and support of the Back 2 School Store is something for which we are so grateful.
And, we were not done. On Monday, July 29, more volunteers gathered at the synagogue to finish “mobile shopping,” filling bags for children who were unable to attend in person. Local agencies picked up these last items, along with menstrual products, and distributed them to their families.
Including NCJW/Essex Families!
Until Next Year
Then it was time to pack everything away for a few months, as the children get ready for school and planning begins for the 2025 Store. Thanks for an amazing day!
