Help a Matawan-Aberdeen Child in Need

Help a local child get prepared for the upcoming school year by donating school supplies at local businesses along Route 34.

The Matawan-Aberdeen Rotary Club is currently working to collect 100 backpacks in addition to other items a child may need, such as glue, crayons, notebooks, pens, pencils and folders.

Each backpack will be filled with the donated school supplies and given to the nurses in the district who will distribute the bags to children in need, according to Rotary Club President Roseann Trevean.

Donations can be dropped off at boxes located in Strathmore Cleaners in the Stop & Shop shopping center, Columbia Bank and Kearny Bank. They can also be dropped off at the club's weekly meetings on Thursdays at 12:15 p.m. at the Buttonwood Manor.

This is the third year the Rotary Club has collected backpacks and donated them the the Matawan Aberdeen Regional School District, according to Trevean.

The fundraiser has grown each year, Trevean said. The first year the Rotary Club set their goal at 50 backpacks; last year the goal was set at 70 backpacks and this year they upped the bar to 100 backpacks.

According to Travean, they already have close to 80 backpacks and are hoping to exceed their goal.