With the new school year comes back-to-school shopping for new supplies and clothing; unfortunately, many children and teens do not have the means to purchase these basic necessities. Cherry Hill Mall is partnering with the Center For Family Services (CFS) for the fourth annual “Operation Backpack,” a program to collect back-to-school items from backpacks to sneakers for local youth to start school equipped with learning tools, clothing, and confidence.
Donate new backpacks filled with school supplies for elementary, middle or high school students and impact the lives of children in need. Backpacks and apparel, monetary donations and gift cards to purchase these items will be accepted now through Aug. 20 at Cherry Hill Mall’s Guest Services Center.
“Cherry Hill Mall is proud to support Center For Family Services and their charitable endeavor to provide disadvantaged youth with back-to-school essentials,” said Lisa Wolstromer, senior marketing director at Cherry Hill Mall.
Center For Family Services is a non-profit organization whose mission is to support and empower individuals, families and communities to achieve a better life through vision, hope, and strength. The nonprofit operates a 24 hour sexual assault and domestic violence hotline, provides advocacy and accompaniments to hospital emergency rooms, police stations, and court, offers individual and group counseling, provides safe shelter for victims of domestic violence and their children, and implements a prevention program so that violence is no longer a public health epidemic. Through education and awareness, CFS is working toward ending sexual violence in New Jersey communities.
Cherry Hill Mall hosts Operations Back Pack as part of Pennsylvania Real Estate Investment Trust’s (PREIT) PREIT Cares program, the company’s springboard for charitable giving and community awareness campaigns. PREIT Cares is an umbrella which supports PREIT’s Five Pillars: Healthcare, Education, Arts, Social Responsibility and Sustainability. As central gathering places in their communities, PREIT malls are ideal venues for raising awareness for important and timely causes. PREIT encourages its malls to be active respondents to these issues in a way that is meaningful for the communities they serve.
