Queens Hosts Back-To-School Donation Drive For Homeless Kids

KEW GARDENS, QUEENS — Queens Borough Hall is hosting a back-to-school donation drive to help homeless kids get ready for the new school year.

The non-profit Coalition for the Homeless is partnering with Queens Borough President Melinda Katz's office to collect backpacks and other school supplies through Wednesday, Aug. 28.

Accepted school supply donations include #2 pencils, hard and soft pencil cases, pencil sharpeners, crayons (24-count boxes), colored pencils, washable markers, Elmer’s glue, glue sticks, composition notebooks, binders, ruled paper, safety scissors, pocket folders and scientific calculators.

Nearly 115,000 kids in New York City experienced homelessness at some point last year, according to the nonprofit.

"The backpacks and school supplies so generously donated by the people of Queens help level the playing field for homeless girls and boys, allowing them to walk into that first day of school fully equipped and ready for class," Dave Giffen, executive director of the Coalition for the Homeless, said in a statement.

A donation box is located in the main lobby of Queens Borough Hall, just past the front entrance.

All donations are anonymous and non-tax-deductible.