By Tim McCarthy
tmccarthy@haverhillgazette.com
—
Sometimes big things do come in small packages.
The Haverhill Community Violence Prevention Coalition held its third annual Back to School Celebration at the Citizens Center, giving away 218 backpacks filled with school supplies to elementary school-aged students.
As with anything free, there was a catch to getting a backpack. Parents and their children had to attend two short presentations hosted by the Haverhill District Courts, Haverhill school administration and members of the Violence Intervention Program, the youth component of the HCVC program.
The informal lectures in both English and Spanish, with Haverhill's ELL director Graciela Trilla serving as a translator alongside several VIP members, touched upon subjects such as bullying, the expectations of Haverhill students and how to remain involved as parents.
Carol Ireland, a coordinator for the VIP program and a teacher at Haverhill High School, said the program has proven a tremendous success for the past three years at bringing parents and family members of at-risk students and their families face-to-face with community leaders.
"You can't do that unless you bring people together," she said. "This is a great opportunity to reach out to parents."
The Haverhill Police similarly made a strong presence at the event as well.
"We get nonpolice contact as police officers," said Haverhill police Chief Alan DeNaro. "Being involved in the community is a core function of the department."
Kids had an opportunity for fun with crayon coloring stations and free Popsicles.
The backpacks and supplies were donated by a number of sources including the Haverhill Rotary Club, Haverhill Bank, the police department and the Haverhill District Court among others.
Patti Gleason, a probation officer for the Haverhill district courts and the president of HCVC, said these kinds of programs grow more important each year as a way for families to catch a financial break on back-to-school necessities.
"The population that benefits from this is a needy population," she said. "They need the help."
