Irving School students to get back-to-school boost

Corporate Volunteer Council members pose next to piles of back-to-school items. / Contributed photo

Employees from 46 companies from Valley United Way’s Corporate Volunteer Council (CVC) will join together in the gym at Irving School in Derby Thursday for the 17th Back to School Clothes for Kids project with outstanding results.
About 200 Derby schoolchildren in need from Irving and Bradley schools will be presented with bins filled with two complete outfits, underwear, socks, sneakers, a winter coat and a backpack filled with school supplies. Their happy smiling faces guarantee that they will have that extra step in their walk as they begin their year at school.
To date the CVC has outfitted 2,402 Valley children and spent $480,400.

Interim Derby Superintendent of Schools George Tanner along with Jennifer Olson, Irving School Principal and Christine DiGrazia, Bradley School Principal, will be on hand to greet the children and thank the CVC companies for their generous donations.

The goal of the CVC project is to provide new clothing to needy children at the start of the school year in an effort to improve attendance on the first days of school and boost confidence. National statistics show that many underprivileged children miss the first few days of school simply because they do not have new clothes to wear.
The CVC hopes that by providing the children with clothes and school supplies, they will be encouraged to do their best while receiving a boost to their self-esteem. CVC Companies strongly feel that the attendance of the children on the first day of school attributes to this program’s success

The CVC is a coalition of local businesses and corporations that have an active employee volunteer involvement program.  The CVC is proud to play a vital role in boosting self-esteem and confidence by helping children to look and feel their best when they attend school, which has a proven positive effect on educational performance.
For information contact Valley United Way’s Volunteer Center Director, Patricia Tarasovic, 203-926-9478 or at patricia.tarasovic@valleyunitedway.org.

The above information was contributed by Patricia Tarasovic, Valley United Way.