Giving Homeless Students the Tools to Thrive in School

NEW YORK, NY AUGUST 12, 2015

The first day of school can be a scary and uncertain time for any child. But it poses particular challenges for the more than 24,000 New York City kids currently living in homeless shelters. These youngsters often lack the tools any child needs – including basic essentials like pens, pencils and notebooks. So Manhattan Mini Storage is once again partnering with the Coalition for the Homeless for Project: Back to School – a donation drive to supply city kids living in shelters with backpacks and other critically needed school supplies for the upcoming academic year.

In addition to donating dozens of extra-large Manhattan Mini Storage boxes to the Coalition, each of the company’s 17 mini storage locations has set up their own collection centers for their staff, customers and the general public to contribute to this vital effort.

“We believe every child has the right to a solid education,” said Stacy Stuart, Executive Vice President of Marketing and Human Resources at Edison Properties, the parent company of Manhattan Mini Storage. “And as a longtime New York City company, we’re committed to helping our community in any way we can. We also know that the people who store with us want to help these kids succeed, and that’s why we always get so many donations for Project: Back to School.”

Manhattan Mini Storage is also using its LED signs and social media pages to support the donation drive and is one of the program’s key sponsors.

“Girls and boys living in homeless shelters must contend with unimaginable levels of stress and hardship, and are at a tremendous disadvantage when trying to keep up with their housed peers in school,” said Dave Giffen, Executive Director of the Coalition for the Homeless. “While something as simple as a quiet place to do homework each night is out of reach of so many homeless youth, we can at least make sure that these great kids have the supplies they need to start the school year off right. For eight years now, Manhattan Mini Storage has been partnering with the Coalition on Project: Back to School to help thousands of homeless kids walk into their first day of school feeling prepared and confident.”

The 2015 Project: Back to School runs through Aug. 28, and Manhattan Mini Storage hopes people will donate whatever they can, including backpacks, No. 2 pencils and composition books. The Coalition for the Homeless says other much-needed supplies include pocket folders, calculators, 1” binders and colored pencils.

The Coalition for the Homeless is the nation’s oldest advocacy and direct service organization helping homeless men, women and children. They believe that affordable housing, sufficient food and the chance to work for a living wage are fundamental rights in a civilized society. Since their inception in 1981, the Coalition has worked through litigation, public education and direct services to ensure that these goals are realized. For more information, visit http://www.coalitionforthehomeless.org.

Edison Properties is the family-owned parent company of Manhattan Mini Storage, New York’s self-storage leader and one of the city’s favorite brands, thanks to their famous subway ads and billboards. They also own and operate Edison ParkFast – 40 garages and lots throughout New York City, as well as Northeastern New Jersey and Baltimore. Other properties include WorkSpace Offices, Executive Offices and Pre-Built Suites, the Hippodrome office building and the Ludlow, a luxury residential high-rise on the Lower East Side.

For more information about Manhattan Mini Storage, visit http://www.ManhattanMiniStorage.com. And to learn more about Edison Properties’ ongoing efforts to help others, please contact Stacy Stuart, Executive Vice President of Marketing and Human Resources, at 973-849-2556.

Originally published on PRWeb.