Astoria Federal Launches 13th Annual Kids Tools for School Drive

will hold its 13th annual Kids Tools for School collection drive throughout August to help prepare children for the start of the new school year.

The program provides local students whose families struggle to afford school supplies with the much-needed educational tools to excel and perform well in the classroom.  

Starting August 1, the community is invited to participate by bringing their donations of new school supplies or cash to purchase supplies to any one of ’ 85 branches in Nassau, Suffolk, Brooklyn, Queens and Westchester. Astoria Federal will also match up to $10,000 in cash donations to purchase additional supplies to be distributed to local children without school supplies for this upcoming school year. 

The bank will once again team up with local schools, shelters and human service organizations to distribute supplies to children in need as More families than ever are likely to find themselves in difficult financial situations this year — many for the first time — and may be unable to provide their children with school supplies, which typically cost as much as $100 per child. As a result, some children may arrive at school this September without supplies or are forced to recycle last year’s.

“Each year we are impressed by the overwhelming community support for our annual Tools for School program,” Astoria Federal Savings Executive Vice President Brian Edwards said in a statement. “Children who go to school without school supplies are at a tremendous social and academic disadvantage, and it is important to make sure some of the less fortunate students in our communities are able to start the year off on the right foot.”

The Kids Tools for School collection drive is part of Astoria Federal’s Education First initiative, which includes special savings accounts for students, an annual Teach Children to Save Essay Contest and school outreach programs to promote financial literacy. For additional information about Astoria Federal’s Kids Tools for School collection drive visit their website.