For nearly two decades, NYU Langone has helped Brooklyn and Long Island families prepare for a new school year through its Back-to-School Drive.<\/p>\n
At an August 26 event with the Family Health Centers at NYU Langone<\/a>\u00a0in Brooklyn, supported by Healthfirst and JPMorgan Chase, more than 1,000 backpacks and school supplies were distributed to local children while connecting families with healthcare services and other community resources.<\/p>\n The cost of lengthy school supply lists strains many families\u2019 household budgets. The Family Health Centers at NYU Langone surpassed its $128,000 fundraising goal this year, raising more than $138,000 to give children the supplies they need to return to the classroom prepared. <\/p>\n \u201cThis drive is about so much more than handing out backpacks,\u201d said Larry K. McReynolds<\/a>, executive director of the Family Health Centers at NYU Langone. \u201cFor nearly 20 years, it has given us another way to show up for the families we serve, help children feel excited and prepared for school, and connect our neighbors with resources that can support their health and well-being throughout the year.\u201d<\/p>\n The event brought together NYU Langone leaders, community organizations, local officials, and partners in support of neighborhood families. Along with McReynolds, attendees included Isaac P. Dapkins, MD<\/a>, chief medical officer of the Family Health Centers at NYU Langone; Marilyn Vientos, senior director of ambulatory network operations centers; NYU Langone trustees; Maja Castillo, MD, MHA, pediatric medical director at Healthfirst; Edwin Grospe, MD, managing director and controller at JPMorgan Chase; New York City Council Member Alexa Avil\u00e9s; New York State Senator Steve Chan; and New York State Assemblymember Lester Chang.<\/p>\n At the event, families could access health screenings and information, demonstrations, children\u2019s entertainment, and activities for adults at nearly 40 booths hosted by the Family Health Centers at NYU Langone, community-based organizations, and city agencies, including the New York City Fire Department and Department of Transportation.<\/p>\n The back-to-school effort extended beyond Brooklyn, with NYU Langone distributing backpacks to children at pediatric locations across Long Island, including NYU Langone Huntington Medical Group<\/a>, NYU Langone Hospital\u2014Long Island Pediatric Center<\/a>, and NYU Langone Hospital\u2014Suffolk<\/a>.<\/p>\n