Coming to the rescue
Cumberland Police Dept., Staples help local students stock up on school supplies
CUMBERLAND — A group of eight local students got a jump on preparations for the new school year with the help of the Cumberland Police Department on Thursday.
Led by Police Chief John Desmarais, eight members of the department each took one of the students on a free shopping spree for school supplies at the Staples store at 287 Washington St., in Attleboro, helping them fill out a list of needed school items prepared by their principals.
The Cumberland Police paid for the items through its Community Policing account, and Kevin Birch, the Staples store manager, said the store was providing each with a free backpack as part of their visit.
“We are going to donate the backpacks so they can put the rest of the money toward their school supplies,” Birch said.
Thursday was the second time the Cumberland Police have conducted the school supplies assistance effort for students in need at local schools, and Birch said his store was happy to help out.
Similar programs have been taken on by other Staples stores around the country, but Birch said Cumberland was the only community offering it through his store.
“I’m glad they let us get involved with it,” he said.
The school supply trip came as area communities are gearing up for the start of school at the end of the month, and Birch said Staples will also be holding its annual ‘Teacher Appreciation Week’ for educators from Aug. 24 to Aug. 27. Teachers are given coupons providing discounts on the school supplies and services they purchase as part of their school preparations. Birch said he already has about 700 bags containing the discounts and other items ready for teachers when they come in.
The local store serves school customers from Paw- tucket, Providence, Attleboro, Cumberland, Woonsocket and additional communities as part of the annual school shopping season, he noted.
Desmarais told the students before they went in to shop that the day was intended to help give them a great start to the school year.
“We know how it is to start a new year of school and hope you will be starting it off on the right foot because you have all of your school supplies,” Desmarais said.
After the group went shopping with their assigned officer, Desmarais said he found from last year’s trip that the students do get a feeling of relief when they see their backpacks filled with school supplies as they check out at the store counter.
“Once they have that backpack on their back, they really begin to smile,” he said.
Captain Robert Fay said the department works with the school department to come up with the list of students that will be assisted and also get the list of needed items from their school principals before going to the store.
A student and their family, including any siblings that also might need school supplies, is selected from each town elementary school, B.F. Norton, Garvin, Ashton, Community, and the John J. McLaughlin School, he noted.
Jeff Locke, who went shopping with his 9-year-old grandson and foster child, said the visit would help with the coming school year. “I think it is a wonderful, marvelous opportunity and totally unexpected,” Locke said. Among the many things his grandson would be pick up would be a few art supplies, he noted.
“He loves to sketch and I’m sure he will be getting some colored pencils and markers,” Locke said.
Desmarais said that in addition to help local students start their new school year, the pro- gram also helps local officers connect with the people they serve in the community.
“It is good for the students because they are going to get school supplies, it is good for the parents because helps them with the things their children need for school, and it is a good day for the police department because our officers interact with a child in a positive way as a role model,” he said.
Also participating in the school shopping spree were Officer Crystal Claflin, Det. Jolene Alves, Sgt. Dave Payson, Officer Ryan Rei, Officer Zachary Coyne, Deputy Chief Douglas Ciullo and Capt. William Wilkie.