Need for school supplies on LI skyrockets

Jonathan Solis, 3, holds his new school supplies that he received from Pronto in Bay Shore, Wednesday. (Sept. 1, 2010) Credit: Ed Betz
Nonprofit groups serving Long Island's neediest families say donations of backpacks, notebooks and other essentials to annual school supply drives are dwindling in the face of skyrocketing demand.
"This is probably the worst year we've ever seen," said Ken Mangan, founder of Every Child's Dream in Sayville.
Mangan's group usually gives out about 1,000 backpacks with supplies a year. But this year, it struggled to reach 600, he said.
>> Read Jennifer Barrios' full story
If you want to donate:
Long Island Coalition for the Homeless
516-742-7770
Every Child’s Dream
everychildsdream@gmail.com
Pronto of Long Island
631-231-8290
Long Island Food Not Bombs
631-223-4370
John Theissen Children’s Foundation
516-679-5098
Items requested include: Backpacks, notebooks, pens, pencils, erasers, glue, rulers, scissors, protractors and calculators.

Out East with Doug Geed: Wine harvests, a fish market, baked treats and poinsettias NewsdayTV's Doug Geed visits two wineries and a fish market, and then it's time for holiday cheer, with a visit to a bakery and poinsettia greenhouses.

Out East with Doug Geed: Wine harvests, a fish market, baked treats and poinsettias NewsdayTV's Doug Geed visits two wineries and a fish market, and then it's time for holiday cheer, with a visit to a bakery and poinsettia greenhouses.