Mayor Kraham Announces City, CARES Will Provide Free Backpacks, School Supplies to Binghamton Students

Largest Program to Date Will Distribute More Than 1,360 Filled Backpacks

(BINGHAMTON, N.Y.)—Mayor Jared M. Kraham on Monday joined CARES Advocates For Families Inc. to announce the City and CARES will provide free backpacks and school supplies to more than 1,360 students in the City of Binghamton this year.

It marks the largest backpack and school supply program since the City and CARES began partnering in 2017.

Mayor Kraham said: "As another school year approaches, the City of Binghamton is again working with CARES to provide hundreds of children with the basic supplies they need to learn and thrive in the classroom. The program helps relieve some of the financial burden that back-to-school shopping puts on families and is another investment in our young people."

Free backpacks filled with school supplies will be available this week to City of Binghamton students in grades Pre-K through 12, as follows:

Thursday, August 21 from 11am to 3pm at:

• Saratoga Apartments Community Center (60 Saratoga Avenue)
• Carlisle Hills Apartments Community Center (150 Moeller Street)
• Walnut Street Park (121 Walnut Street)

Friday, August 22 from 11am to 3pm at:

• Cheri A. Lindsey Memorial Park (1 Truesdell Street)

Saturday, August 23 from 11am to 3pm at:

• Recreation Park (103 Laurel Avenue)

The backpacks will be available for pickup at each site on a first-come, first-served basis. Students must be present to receive a backpack.

Denise Yull, CEO of CARES, said: "Each year CARES leads the Backpack & School Supply Drive because too many of our families are working more than one job, living at or below the poverty line, and now face the rising cost of living, and need our collective support; by coming together for our children, we affirm that they are all our children, and CARES is committed to doing what it takes to help them thrive and we thank Mayor Kraham for his continued partnership in making this possible."

This marks the ninth straight year the City has funded a backpack and school supply giveaway. More than 6,850 filled backpacks have been provided free of charge to Binghamton students since the program started in 2017.

The City of Binghamton is providing $20,000 in Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds to support this year's backpack and school supply program.

A number of community partners are also contributing to this year's event, including Dinosaur Dental, Fidelis, Greater Good Grocery, Progressive Dental, Southern Tier Women's Health Services, Visions Federal Credit Union and Weis Markets.