Photo of the Month: Backpacks and Bright Futures at Redfern Cornerstone Community Center

2 days ago

2 min read

Mr. Keith stands in the middle with his arms around two middle school age boys who are wearing their backpacks in front of them.

There’s no stopping brothers Nathaniel (left) and Trevon (right) as they start a new school year with fully stocked backpacks, courtesy of our 2026 Backpack Drive!

Nathaniel and Trevon are participants at Redfern Cornerstone Community Center, a vibrant Far Rockaway hub for community members of all ages. They were introduced to the center this summer by their foster mom, whose grown children were active participants during their childhood.

"This summer at Redfern, I enjoyed my friends and my teacher, Ms. Nia," Trevon said.

Nathaniel said. “I liked my teacher and going on trips."

Now that school has started, the brothers are excited to attend Redfern’s afterschool program, where they can engage in activities such as sports, the arts, and STEM projects, in addition to receiving academic support and enrichment.

We are deeply grateful to Omnicom Health Market Access (OHMA) for partnering with us on our 2026 Backpack Drive to provide Redfern participants with backpacks filled with everything they need for the school year. Led by former Child Center team member Gabrielle De Jesus-Infante, the OHMA team raised more than $1,500 to help 66 Redfern participants start the school year strong!

We love how happy and ready Nathaniel and Trevon look with their new backpacks, pictured above with Evening/Weekend Coordinator Keith Crosby. (All we have to say about Mr. Keith’s Lakers hat: Knicks in five!)

"I like the color of the backpacks and the cool stuff inside," the brothers told us.

Rising prices have made it more difficult than ever for families across the country to provide school essentials. Thanks to OHMA and all of our dedicated supporters, our young scholars started the school year prepared with supplies and filled with confidence.

Every year, we work to get thousands of New York students the fully stocked backpacks they need to start a new grade on the right foot. If you’d like to support our students throughout the year, a monthly gift is one of the most powerful ways to make sure a student has what they need all year long. We love to see smiles like Nathaniel’s and Trevon’s in every season!