Dear UM Campus Community,

On behalf of the UM Staff Senate, I would like to make a special appeal to everyone to help support its current project to collect school supplies for Family Connections/Grandparent Family Connections.

Family Connections is a community-based UM program that started in 1996. The program serves families from Baltimore City, helping them meet their children's basic needs and prevent neglect. These families receive counseling and services that prevent the need for foster care services. Grandparent Family Connections helps grandparents who have assumed the role of primary caregivers for children. Services are provided by social workers and social work interns. The program is free-standing in West Baltimore under the auspices of the Ruth H. Young Center for Families and Children at the School of Social Work and directed by Fred Strieder, PhD, MSSA. Dr. Strieder is very excited that we have taken on this program as our next project. For the upcoming academic year, we will be collecting new backpacks and school supplies through the end of July. The items will be given to Family Connections in early August for distribution during the back-to-school camp event held for children and their caregivers.

Boxes will be located around the campus for your convenience at the following locations with the name of the contact person:

Please see the following list of supplies needed. The backpacks can be various sizes as they will be distributed to children ages 4 to 16 (pre-K through high school).

Pre-K & Kindergarten (Per student): backpack, 2 marble notebooks, 3 pocket folders, 5 pencils, crayons, tissues, glue stick

Elementary (Per student): backpack, folders, 4 composition books, glue stick, crayons, tissues, 2 notebook papers, 5 pencils

Middle & High (Per student): backpack, 2 spiral notebooks, 1 three-ring binder, 2 notebook papers, crayons, pens, dividers, tissues, Post-its, folders

Thank you, as always, for your support!

Jay A. Perman, MD
President