by Johanna Ginsberg
NJJN Staff Writer

August 4, 2009

Abigail Marrero, nine, took the arm of her personal shopper, Linda Jacobs, and went on a back-to-school shopping spree. There were coats to try on, hats and gloves to choose, and racks of pants and shirts to check out, not to mention shoes and socks and underwear.

And that was just the clothing: There were also school supplies, from glue sticks and magic markers to colored pencils and folders.

Abigail was one 278 children eligible for the “Back 2 School Store,” a project of the Essex County Section of National Council of Jewish Women to help underprivileged kids get ready for the new school year.

Operating in space donated by B’nai Shalom in West Orange, the store invited its “customers” to a ribbon-cutting ceremony Aug. 2 attended by NCJW volunteers and various dignitaries, including Rabbi Stanley Asekoff of B’nai Shalom; Richard Flaks, a senior vice president of the Children’s Place stores; and representatives from the offices of Gov. Jon Corzine, Sen. Robert Menendez, and Newark Mayor Cory Booker.

Later in the day, Corzine and his running mate, state Sen. Loretta Weinberg, came to see the project for themselves.

The children were selected by 15 different social service agencies across Essex County that had been invited to partner with NCJW for the project. The recipients of the Back 2 School store’s wares are youngsters who are also eligible for free or subsidized lunch in school. The Children’s Place donated most of the clothing, and other sponsors took care of the rest.

The one-day event took nearly two years to organize, cost $50,000, and involved 200 volunteers.

“It’s been a long planning process, but very worthwhile,” said NCJW Essex County president Sharon Falkin.

The store was modeled on a project developed by a St. Louis, Mo., branch of NCJW. Last summer, event cochairs Deborah Schatz of South Orange, Penina Barr of Short Hills, and Janet Berger of Livingston visited Missouri to see it in action.

“They serviced over 700 people,” Schatz said of the St. Louis event. “We benefitted tremendously from their eight years of trial and error.”

Almost as soon as the West Orange ceremony ended, children began streaming in from the first bus, parked just outside.

Tara Caldwell, nine, sported a smile that spread across her face from the moment she arrived with her mother, Tiffany, and twin sister Tyra.

“I’m looking forward to a lot of stuff: pencils and markers and book bags,” she said, waiting for her turn to enter the store. Besides the supplies, she chose a purple handknit scarf. Her mother said, “I hope they walk away with enough things to start out for school year; that will be less shopping for me.”

“It’s a nice place for kids to get stuff for school; it’s kind of fun,” said Abigail Marrero, while she was waiting to use the dressing room.

Wherever a visitor turned, there were children — trying on coats or selecting tops, picking out school supplies, or posing outside the dressing room in newly selected items.

Renee Dickerson and Jamil Thomas came with their three children: three-year-old Sincere, six-year-old Nazirath, and nine-year-old Nasmir. “I’m excited about the community helping us; there’s a lot to buy that we’re not able to afford. It means a lot to us,” Dickerson said.

By day’s end, 228 kids had come to “shop.” Organizers had brought over 300 of each item to make sure they wouldn’t run out — leftovers have already been inventoried and are ready to be placed in storage for next year’s Back 2 School store.

The day after the event, Schatz called the day “amazing.”

“If everyone is working on the same page and comes out with a great feeling, we’ve done our job,” she said.

Next year, she said, they hope to add about 100 more children. “Unfortunately, the need is there,” said Schatz. “I don’t think we will outstrip the need.”

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