St. John's iCare Foundation helps those in need of back to school supplies

St. John’s iCare Foundation is helping Far Rockaway students get back to school on the right foot.

For the seventh year in a row, iCare provided backpacks to students in the community, packed with school supplies and health information for a strong start to the year.

Families were welcome to the front parking lot of St. John’s Episcopal Hospital to pick up backpacks, play games, eat treats and learn about physical and overall health, all during a sunny afternoon on Aug. 18.

People had the opportunity to donate $15 towards creating a backpack and companies could donate towards the cause in order to earn a sponsorship spot.

Different donation amounts dictated the sponsorship status, ranging from Healthy Big Apple Sponsor to the Backpack Presenting Sponsor, each coming with different displays at the event.

Community members could also order specific Amazon items from the iCare Amazon wish list to donate to the cause.

Nancy Leghart, executive director of the iCare Foundation was proud of the organization’s success this back-to-school season. In the past, the event has been more grab-and-go style due to Covid-19, but she said it is returning to what it used to be.

“It makes going back to school a little bit more fun because we really want summer to last forever,” Leghart said, “but this makes it a little fun, to go back with a nice new backpack.”

The pre-school year celebration also featured tables of health care professionals, scheduling attendees for medical appointments and informing them on health information such as dietary knowledge, health insurance, financial health and services offered by St. John’s Episcopal Hospital.

“The best thing we can give is healthy information to our community,” Leghart said.

The hospital’s mobile unit was also present, offering screenings to those who stopped by.

In addition to their backpack event, the iCare Foundation also hosts a holiday event raising money to distribute toys for families in need.

Outside of events, the organization provides new mothers with baby bags, co-pays for community member’s pharmacy medication and equipment for the hospital.

St. John’s Episcopal Hospital is the only hospital on the Rockaway Peninsula.

The facility — run by Episcopal Health Services — serves the Rockaway communities, the Five Towns and surrounding towns in southwest Nassau County.

To help the iCare Foundation — and to learn more about how to make a tax-deductible donation to the organization — visit the hospital’s service group at EHS.org/giving.