By Tom Grace
EDMESTON _ Rosa Mystica Chapel and House of Prayer will give away more than 200 backpacks filled with school supplies to students in four school districts, including Edmeston and Mount Markham.
``We want to help families with expenses, because we know it's been a hard year for many people,'' said Karen Signoacci Suero on Friday.
She is a spokeswoman for Rosa Mystica, the Edmeston church.
The idea and money for the project came from a donor to the MAN Foundation, a private charitable group with headquarters in Muttontown on Long Island. The foundation is associated with the chapel and has built a conference center and several cabins on the chapel's grounds on Angel Hill in Edmeston.
See PACKS on Page 9
The donor prefers to remain anonymous, Suero said.
Among items to be given away are notebooks, folders, pencils, crayons and calculators, according to Jennifer Morrisey, special events coordinator for the MAN Foundation.
``We'll have the kinds of things students usually need and have,'' she said.
The backpacks have already been filled by volunteers and soon will be transported to the area, she said. ``I think they'll be there by the end of next week.''
Backpacks will be dropped off at both schools, and school officials will be asked to distribute them to those in need, she said.
They also will be given to districts in Herkimer and Lawrence, according to Morrisey. The backpacks will come in sizes to fit younger and older students, she said.
In an e-mail to The Daily Star, Morrisey wrote that the MAN Foundation is ``currently accepting requests for school supplies for next year. It is asked that districts send written requests via e-mail to jennifer@manfoundation.org.''
Rosa Mystica also has opened a food pantry, she noted.
``We have plenty of food but have not received any requests for it,'' she said.
Food is available to families in need locally, Morrisy said. ``They simply need to call (516) 624-9033, ext. 102, and request that they be added to our list. We will contact them as soon as we have the items that they need.''
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