Schenectady City School District Educational Foundation Donates $3000 to Weekend Backpack Program

Donation to Provide Backpacks for 38 Schenectady Students and Families

SCHENECTADY – Today, March 19, 2020, the Schenectady City School District Educational Foundation, a 501©3, announced its donation of $3,000 toward the Weekend Backpack Program to serve 38 students and families in Schenectady during this unprecedented time of the coronavirus.

The donation will enable 38 students in the City of Schenectady, who are currently on a waiting list, to be placed in the backpack program. The backpack program will provide critical resources and products to these families during this difficult time with the coronavirus.

“With schools closed, there is more and more stress put on our neighbors, so our Board decided to help these 38 families by insuring they will receive backpacks each Friday to supplement their weekend meals,” said Gordon Zuckerman, President of the Schenectady City School District Educational Foundation.

As part of the Weekend Backpack Program, about 1,000 Schenectady students are handed a backpack every Friday full of nutritious food to take home. The recipients of these backpacks are students who would otherwise not have access to nutritional food over the weekend.

The approximate cost to provide weekly backpacks for one child for an entire school year is $200. The backpack program is made possible in partnership with the Schenectady City School District, The Schenectady Foundation, Schenectady City Mission, and other local groups.

The Schenectady City School District Educational Foundation provides supplemental funding for the enhancement of learning opportunities for the students in the Schenectady City School District. Since 2006, the Foundation has awarded 370 grants worth over $302,000.

In January, the Schenectady City School District Educational Foundation held its annual Education Celebration at Proctors. The annual gala was held to celebrate education and the achievements of the students and staff of the Schenectady City School District.

For more information about the Foundation and to make a donation visit the Foundation’s website at www.scsdeducationfoundation.org or befriend us on Facebook at Schenectady Schools Foundation