The corner of Avenue A and East 2nd St. in Manhattan’s Lower East Side has grown increasingly busy over the past few months. There, Catholic Charities of New York’s Cardinal Spellman Center, established in 1963, has recently launched several new initiatives — including food distributions, early childcare resources, and workforce development courses — while hosting a slate of community events.
This afternoon, families gathered for a Back to School Resource Day, where volunteers and staff distributed 250 backpacks stuffed with writing utensils, notebooks, folders, and other supplies to kids getting ready to start a new school year.
“This is a big day for a family like mine,” says Wazu, who brought her five grandchildren, ages 1 to 10. “We were in dire need of all of this.”
“We’d like to express our deepest gratitude,” says Nina, who brought two daughters, ages 3 and 8. “We had a beautiful experience.”
The event closed out a series of back-to-school giveaways throughout Yonkers, the Bronx, and Manhattan, during which a total of over 1,500 fully stocked backpacks were distributed.
A Neighborhood Center Steps Up to Meet Local Need
In a neighborhood with a poverty rate of 27.1%, something as simple as a backpack can be pivotal to a school-bound child’s success. With the ballooning cost of living exacerbated by inflation, school supplies can amount to a considerable, and stressful, expense.
“We have families that may be struggling and making some really difficult choices, sometimes in relation to being housed or making sure that there’s food on their table,” says Andrea Jordan, Chief Program Officer at Catholic Charities of New York. “The backpack giveaway allows us to provide some level of help so that these households can focus on other priorities.”
“Some kids have parents who died, or who don’t have jobs,” adds Wazu. “The struggle is real. We need more organizations like this, like Catholic Charities, to come into this community. Some families are just drowning.”
Wazu recalls how her connection with the Cardinal Spellman Center started: “I came by needing food and this young man gave me a dozen eggs,” she says of the time she met Catholic Charities of New York staffer Juan Lopez. “I liked his energy!”
As Jordan explains, the Cardinal Spellman Center currently distributes pre-stocked bundles of food to neighbors in need every Wednesday, and plans are in the works to build out a full pantry where community members can choose from a wider selection of items.
New Offerings Take Shape at the Cardinal Spellman Center
Today also marked the debut of the Cardinal Spellman Center’s new library, aimed at promoting literacy and imagination among the community’s youth. Kids chose from a selection of titles for varying ages and reading levels.
“The idea of that library is obviously giving free books to the community, but also inviting authors to come in and tell stories, or do read-alouds with students,” says Jordan. “It’s an opportunity to really celebrate literacy and encourage parents to continue reading to their kids, and ensure that they’re prioritizing reading in their day-to-day lives.”
Meanwhile, Catholic Charities of New York staffers spoke with parents about resources for adults and heads of household. Participants could sign up for eviction prevention support, case management for complex needs, and help with Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits.
The event also offered families the opportunity to “shop” at the Mothers & Babies Boutique, a room at the Cardinal Spellman Center where they can pick up free diapers, bottles, wipes, baby clothes, and other early childcare essentials.
“Our plan is to expand this to more resources and workshops for moms, especially new moms,” says Jordan. “We’ll have programming around childcare, literacy, and the milestones we want babies and young kids to be reaching.”
The Continuum of Care
Though many of the initiatives at the Cardinal Spellman Center are new, a number of the families who attended Back to School Resource Day have been involved in Catholic Charities of New York programming for years.
Nina brings up her son, 15, who recently received a scholarship to attend a training program affiliated with the New York Mets, where he’ll engage directly with professional players, coaches, and staff. “He’s part of Catholic Charities’ program too; he’s benefited from them,” she says. “Thanks to his hard work, he’s been able to join the training sessions. And thanks to what this program has given us, I have always been able to contribute to his success.”
Still new to the Cardinal Spellman Center herself, Wazu has plans to explore the growing slate of programming. “Thank you for ‘making it pop’ for me and my family today,” she says. “I’m very grateful, and I will be coming back!”
