Cooperation and generosity once again on full display in Evesham Township as school supply collection drive fills 211 backpacks for local students in need

It’s well known that the Evesham Township School District guides the social and emotional growth of its students through a value system known as CARES: Cooperation, Assertion, Responsibility, Empathy and Self-control.

But those values don’t just stop at the doors of Evesham’s local schools. Those values extend to students’ homes, families and the Evesham community as a whole.

In fact, those values were once again on full display throughout the month of August when the Evesham community joined forces to collect enough school supplies to fill a total of 211 backpacks for students in need during the upcoming school year.

According to district estimates, these donations should provide more than enough supplies to help each of the district’s students who need assistance once the school year begins.

With notebooks, pencils, binders and more causing backpacks to nearly burst at the seams, the Evesham community can rest easy knowing that students in need will start the school year with all tools necessary for success.  

 “Even as a lifelong resident and a lifelong volunteer in this township, I can still find myself amazed by the generosity and true altruism in our community,” Mayor Jaclyn Veasy said. “This drive was ‘For Evesham…By Evesham,’ and I want to thank everyone who had a part in the success of another amazing collaboration between our municipality and our local school district. You’ve made a real difference in the lives of students and families who needed your help the most.”

The idea for the collection drive stemmed from conversations between members of Evesham Township Council and the local ETSD Board of Education, who were simply looking for a way to help students during an economy that’s still uncertain for many families.

Local nonprofits such as Hands Uniting Generations (HUGS) and the Diversity & Equal Opportunity Network (D.E.O.N.) also soon offered to help, and volunteers got to work. 

With a list of requested school supplies in hand, the township printed flyers and promoted the collection drive through the township’s website and social media platforms for the first three weeks of August.

The township also placed collection boxes at the Evesham Municipal Complex, Gibson House Community Center and ETSD Administration Building.

The HUGS group also hosted an online fundraiser throughout the drive to collect monetary donations, raising more than $1,500, which the group then used to purchase even more supplies and prepare even more backpacks. D.E.O.N. also collected supplies during the Evesham Police Department’s National Night Out event in early August, as well as from D.E.O.N. supporters throughout the drive.

“We started this collection drive with high hopes, but the outpouring of support from our community eclipsed even our greatest expectations,” Councilman Eddie Freeman III said. “I’m proud to serve a community that cares so deeply about the education of its youngest residents. With the support of the Evesham BOE, this collection drive was a huge success.”

Once the drive was underway, other local businesses and community organizations also made group donations and helped spread the word, including the Marlton Business Association distributing information and Bakanas Flowers even hosting a public collection box of their own.

Together, this team effort resulted in a total collection of 211 backpacks, with many assembled from the donated supplies and more than $1,500 in monetary donations. 

“Our district is so grateful for the generosity of our community, our families, and local businesses for their donations generating well over 200 backpacks filled with supplies,” said Dr. Justin Smith, Superintendent for the Evesham Township School District. “We will be distributing these resources to students in need for the start of the school year. This effort, catalyzed and coordinated by our Township Leadership, Mayor Jaclyn Veasy, Deputy Heather Mayor Cooper, Councilman Eddie Freeman III and more, and backed by town organizations like HUGS, the Marlton Business Association, and D.E.O.N., exemplifies the ‘all in’ giving spirit of our great town of Evesham.”

ETSD BOE President Joe Fisicaro Jr., who himself works as a teacher in the regional high school district, said he too knows how difficult the start of a school year can be for children in need.

“For more than 200 young students, their year will start off stronger thanks to a partnership with Mayor and Council and an incredibly giving community,” Fisicaro said. “The backpack drive is an unbelievable display of an Evesham that, as Dr. Smith would say, is ‘All In’. Thank you Evesham for always caring about young people and putting them first. You are an awesome community, and we are forever grateful for you.”