Children’s Day: help for the back to school blues

All parents want to give their children whatever they need tosucceed, but for some Bay Ridge parents, not being able to affordschool supplies is a fact of life.

Catholic Charities/Our Lady of Angels Human Service Center wants tohelp assuage that concern. Thanks to the persistent efforts ofAndrea Holder, site supervisor for Catholic Charities/OLA, onSeptember 2, the organization held its first children’s day at its73rd Street location.

If we could do a little bit to alleviate the stress around school,then we wanted to get in on that, Holder said.

In addition to face painting and a puppet show, the nearly 100children at the event received free books and school supplies, andfor some even a complimentary dental check-up. Parents were giveninformation on various after-school programs and social servicesoffered in their community.

Holder hopes the event highlighted the variety of social servicesavailable to needy local families.

If we don’t have it in-house, we can refer you to it, Holdersaid, acknowledging the extensive programs the Human Service Centeroffers. But we can’t help [families] if they don’t know aboutus.