Franklin Square Nurses Give Back Packs
to Two Schools
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Article & photos by Ben
Boehl -
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Rebecca Graystone
and Kim Shanahan give first graders
MacKenzie Whye (left) and Kyle Carey (right) their new backpacks.
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Kindergartener
Malachi Stewart (center) gets his new backpack from Kim Shanahan (left)
and
Rebecca Graystone (right)
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For the past four years, the nurses at Franklin Square Hospital have
given away free back packs to an area school. This year the nurses
decided to give backpacks to two area schools. All students at St.
Stephens Creative Learning Center in Essex and Battle Grove Elementary
School in Dundalk received a free backpack filled with goodies for the
school year.
“Even though some families are more in need than others, our goal is to
make sure we give a backpack to every student in the school,” said
Rebecca Graystone, Magnet coordinator at Franklin Square. “We want the
entire student body to be supported.”
According to Graystone, the hospital pays for 10 percent of the
backpacks with the rest coming from the private funds of the hospital
workers.
“This started out with nurses and it has expanded to every department
in Franklin Square. The employees go out and purchase the backpacks and
the materials inside the backpack,” Graystone added.
Kim Shanahan is a nurse at Franklin Square Hospital and she was able to
go out to St. Stephens Creative Learning Center and pass out the
backpacks. She has helped purchase the backpacks every year, but this
was the first time she got to see the smiles and reaction of the
children.
“It’s great to know they get the supplies they need and teachers don’t
have to worry about the kids not having the supplies they need,”
Shanahan said.
Rev. Candace D. Gray, Executive Director at the school, said the
donations of school supplies can make a big difference to the families
in the area.
“We are thankful for Franklin Square and what they are doing for our
school. It’s a big help to our families and the school.”
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