On Tuesday, November 29, 2016, GBCA’s Head Start held a clothing drive in Paterson, NJ. The clothing drive is an annual event that provides winter clothing and coats for individuals and families in need. Items were donated by students from GBCA’s English as a Second Language (ESL) class in Garfield, Paterson Head Start parents and staff, as well as members of the community.
GBCA’s Head Start in Paterson collected items for several weeks, and they started promoting the drive to the community during voting day on November 8th. Some of the parents promoted the drive on their personal social media accounts. The event was open to Head Start parents and the Paterson community. Volunteers from the Head Start staff were at the drive as well as a parent volunteer and Policy Council member, Janaya Jackson.
The clothing drive was a successful event, and a total of 35 families received items of their choice. The families enjoyed the event and appreciated the clothing items they received. At GBCA Head Start/Early Head Start, the goal is to not only to get children ready for kindergarten but to prepare the entire family for life beyond the program.
GBCA’s Head Start/Early Head Start programs are open to all income eligible families. Free classes and programs, such as parent education, English as a Second Language classes, and USA citizenship classes are also offered to the families throughout the year. All services are responsive to each child and family’s ethnic, cultural and linguistic heritage.