For the past several years Lynn Rotary and the Salvation Army (SA) joined forces to assist with the annual backpack distribution to Lynn School children. Prior to the actual distribution, Lynn Rotarians were on duty at the local Walmart, donating and collecting school supplies from entering customers. Walmart and Fox 25 TV in Boston made significant donations of the supplies.The Lynn Rotarians spent two days at the Lynn SA in late August 2024. The first day they “Stuffed the Packs” with the donated supplies, several Rotarians donated their time to sort and fill the backpacks. The enclosed picture shows from back to front: Steve Upton, Pat Gill, John McCarthy, Ray and Mackie Bastarache, Eileen McCarthy, and Cindy McCarthy. All Rotarians.
The second day, August 29th, about a dozen Lynn Rotarians, were on duty at the SA helping to distribute the backpacks to about 700 well deserving students. The students receiving the backpacks generally had to be prequalified, based on income.
For some of the students, this year marked the first time they were attending school in Lynn. And it was the first time they were starting the school year with a backpack, or anything else, stuffed with school supplies. One could tell from the looks on their faces that they were delighted to receive the backpacks. The parents were equally delighted as it meant they did not have to allocate some of their budget to school supplies.The SA counts on the resources from Lynn Rotary to help in the distribution of the bags. The Rotarians did more than distribute them. Cindi McCarthy acted as a traffic cop, keeping the kids and their parents organized, also directing them to the appropriate distribution table. Steve Upton put his culinary skills to work by inserting free hot dogs and hamburgers in the buns. It was stressful duty! Over 1500 dogs and burgers were served, all in a very short time.
The SA would find it difficult provide families of Lynn with needed food items, and school items without Lynn Rotarians. A couple of times a week Rotarians are on duty filling brown bags with food items, they then distribute them later in the week, The Rotarians are an integral part of what the SA does in any given week.