LAKE SUCCESS, N.Y.,
Aug. 8, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Astoria
Federal Savings' 12th annual Kids Tools for School
collection drive will take place throughout
August to help prepare children for the
start of the new school year. The program ensures
that youngsters have the necessary notebooks,
folders, pens, pencils and other supplies needed to learn and
perform well in school.
The community is invited to participate by bringing
their donations of new school supplies or
cash (to purchase supplies) to any of Astoria
Federal Savings branches in Nassau, Suffolk, Brooklyn, Queens and
Westchester during the month of
August. Astoria Federal is committed to its philosophy of
"Putting people first" in the neighborhoods it serves, and
will match up to $10,000 in cash
donations to purchase supplies in bulk.
Astoria Federal Savings teams up with schools, shelters and
human service organizations to distribute supplies to families in
need. More families than ever are likely to find themselves
in a situation of need this year — many for the first time —
and may be unable to provide their children with supplies, which
typically might cost $50-$75 per
child. For families with a few children, that easily runs into
hundreds of dollars. As a result, some children may arrive at
school this September without supplies or with an empty backpack or
have to erase last year's notebooks.
"Children who go to school without school supplies are at a
tremendous social and academic disadvantage. They may be
embarrassed and discouraged, right from the start. This program
levels the playing field. It's just a question now of how many
children we can support," said Astoria Federal Senior Vice
President and Director of Marketing Brian
Edwards. "Together with our customers and the
community, we provide backpacks and school supplies to children who
need them the most."
Over the past 11 years, Astoria Federal has collected and
distributed literally tons of school supplies to thousands of
children, through the support of its partners in the community.
This year, they are: Anton Community Newspapers, BJM
Promotions, Inc., Brooklyn Chamber
of Commerce, Girl Scouts of Nassau County, Girl Scouts of
Suffolk County, Herald Community
Newspapers, Long Island Parent Magazine, The Long Island
Radio Group, The Long Island Rail Road, Village Office Supply,
The Garden City News, The Queens Courier, and
Queens Chamber of Commerce.
The Kids Tools for School Collection Drive is part of
Astoria Federal's Education First initiative, which includes
the Student Savers and Bank-at-School programs, an
annual Teach Children to Save Essay Contest and school
outreach program, as well as The First Home Club™ to promote
homeownership. These programs and others were all designed to
encourage lifelong learning in the communities Astoria Federal
serves. For additional information about Astoria Federal's Kids
Tools for School collection drive visit
www.astoriafederal.com.
Astoria Financial Corporation (NYSE: AF), with assets of
$17.1 billion, is the holding company
for Astoria Federal Savings and Loan Association. Established
in 1888, Astoria Federal, with deposits in New York totaling $11.2
billion, is the largest thrift depository in New York and embraces its philosophy of
"Putting people first" by providing the customers and local
communities it serves with quality financial products and services
through 85 convenient banking office locations and multiple
delivery channels, including its enhanced website,
www.astoriafederal.com. Astoria Federal commands the fourth
largest deposit market share in the attractive Long Island market, which includes
Brooklyn, Queens, Nassau, and Suffolk counties with a population exceeding
that of 38 individual states. Astoria Federal originates
mortgage loans through its banking and loan production offices in
New York, an extensive broker
network covering fourteen states, primarily along the East Coast,
and the District of Columbia, and
through correspondent relationships covering fifteen states and the
District of Columbia.
SOURCE Astoria Federal Savings