BRAINTREE, MA and BOSTON, MA…
Back to school time of year means different things to different people. For Ropes & Gray lawyers and staff, it represents the time of year when they give backpacks of school supplies to school-age children at homeless shelters throughout Boston. Boston Pack and Ship, a Braintree-based small load shipping specialist, helped out in this cause, delivering 180 of those backpacks to a Boston homeless shelter.
“We’ve had a working relationship with Ropes & Gray for more than two decades. When we heard about the Backpack for the Homeless project, it was something we knew we wanted to be involved with,” said Joe Fell, co-owner of Boston Pack and Ship.
Ropes & Gray employees began the “Backpacks for the Homeless” initiative in 1999. Over the years, with the help of local sponsors and volunteers, the project has grown to the point where the group was creating backpacks for 13 Boston homeless shelters, including one with 180 school-age children (grades K-12).
“In previous years, we had counselors from each shelter come to our offices and pick up the backpacks for the kids. But with 180 backpacks going to a specific shelter, that was going to be a bit much. We’re very grateful to Boston Pack and Ship for volunteering a vehicle and their movers to take care of this delivery,” said Susan Minor, one of the coordinators of this year’s “Backpacks for the Homeless” project.
Each backpack contains a variety of school supplies specific to each child’s grade. So while most backpacks will include your standards—paper, pencils, rulers, glue sticks, etc.—some will have items that their curriculum requires (e.g. 10th graders receiving a scientific calculator). In addition, each backpack contains an outfit for the first day of school (e.g. shirt and pants).
“Living in a homeless shelter, their lives are challenging enough. We started this program so these children could start the school year feeling like most kids with the supplies they need and a brand new set of clothes that fit,” said Minor.
Added Joe Fell, co-owner of Boston Pack and Ship, “We are delighted to be a part of this very worthwhile effort. The volunteers from Ropes & Gray who take part in this program are to be commended for taking this on every year. It’s no small accomplishment to get supplies and clothes in the right sizes for all those kids and they do a great job in pulling it all together.”
If you would like to make a monetary contribution or volunteer for next year’s backpack project, please contact: backpackproject@ropesgray.com
For more information on the breadth of Boston Pack and Ship’s services, you can visit the company Web site at www.bostonpackandship.com. For a free quote on an out-of-state or international move or shipment, please call (800) 400-7204.
Small load specialists
Boston Pack and Ship, a small load specialist, has been a trusted strategic partner of many movers in eastern Massachusetts for more than two decades. Based in Braintree, Massachusetts, Boston Pack and Ship employs custom crates and packaging and foam-in-place solutions to pack and ship everything from artwork to heirlooms, computers to antiques to both out-of-state and international destinations. Known for its fast and efficient customer service, one call is usually all it takes to schedule a pickup for a door-to-door or door-to-port shipment. For more information, visit www.bostonpackandship.com or call (800) 400-7204 for a free quote.
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