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Devereux Pennsylvania CIDDS collects school supplies for Widener Partnership Charter School

Team members at Devereux Advanced Behavioral Health Pennsylvania Children’s Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Services (CIDDS) center recently collected school supplies for students and teachers at Widener Partnership Charter School in Chester, Pa.

Devereux Pennsylvania CIDDS’ Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) committee, which advocates for, and works toward, meaningful and positive change, placed collection bins around Devereux Pennsylvania CIDDS’ and Devereux Pennsylvania Children’s Behavioral Health Services’ (CBHS) campuses. In about a month, the DEI committee collected hundreds of school supplies and other items, including book bags, calculators, crayons, deodorant, markers, notebooks, pencils and socks. Learn about Devereux’s commitment to DEI.

“My heart is happy – our team members really came through,” said Devereux Pennsylvania CIDDS Behavior Specialist Consultant Sharon Jackson-Haynes, who helped organize the school supply drive. “Our DEI committee is always trying to find ways to give back to the community. Some of our clinicians serve children in Chester, Pa., and we wanted to do something to help families and educators in that area who may be struggling.”

Devereux Pennsylvania CIDDS Executive Director Carol Anne McNellis, Psy.D., BCBA, also noted, “We want to thank our DEI committee for organizing the drive, and our generous team members who donated items. School supplies can be expensive. This will help ensure students at Widener Partnership Charter School have the tools they need to succeed.”

Achieving academic goals

Devereux Pennsylvania CIDDS’ DEI committee worked with Widener Partnership Charter School Dean of Students Rick Shinholster, M.S., LBS, who also serves as a behavior specialist consultant for Devereux Pennsylvania CIDDS, to compile a list of needed school supplies.

“We are extremely grateful to Devereux Pennsylvania CIDDS’ DEI committee for supporting our school and our students, and look forward to continuing a positive relationship,” said Shinholster. “Items such as pens, colored pencils, erasers and folders are always needed to help our school community reach its academic goals. A lack of adequate school supplies can cause students to lose their learning potential, which, in turn, can then cause them to experience challenging behaviors and become disinterested in school.”

Setting sights on the future

Since this year’s school supply drive was such a success, Jackson-Haynes says she hopes Devereux Pennsylvania CIDDS’ DEI committee will collect supplies for another school next year.

“No child should struggle with resources,” Jackson-Haynes shared. “I would love for this to be an annual campaign. Next year, we will pick a different school – and spread the love around.”

Learn more about Devereux Pennsylvania Children’s Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Services, and learn more about Devereux Advanced Behavioral Health.

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