Heller Ehrman Helps Launch First-Graders Back-to-School

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Heller Ehrman LLP is helping 335 first-grade children from New York City homeless shelters go back to school. The law firm’s New York office filled 216 backpacks with school supplies, purchased another 119 fully stocked backpacks, and raised $8,646, as part of Operation Backpack, an annual back-to-school drive led by Volunteers of America-Greater New York.

“We had a great time supporting Operation Backpack again this year and we’re pleased to help the kids get ready for school.”

According to Volunteers of America, more than 9,000 families, including 11,000 school-age children, reside in the New York City homeless shelter system and most of these children go back to school in September without basic supplies. Operation Backpack is Volunteers of America’s annual campaign that asks the public to bring new backpacks to designated Drop Locations throughout the city. More than 70 New York businesses participate by engaging employees in backpack and school supply drives. Volunteers fill thousands of new backpacks with grade-specific supplies during Sort Week and distribute them to kids in time for the start of the school year.

“We decided to have a little friendly competition between our floors in our Times Square Tower office and we totally smashed our backpack goal,” said Anna Scarpa, a professional services manager in Heller Ehrman’s New York office who coordinated the firm’s 2008 effort. “We had a great time supporting Operation Backpack again this year and we’re pleased to help the kids get ready for school.”

Heller Ehrman’s Operation Backpack team in New York included Scarpa, Administrative Coordinator Jennifer Cacioppo and Legal Secretaries Maureen Cangialosi, Dawn Colucci, Doryne Epps, Lillie Hamadalla, Elizabeth Huesca, Stephanie Rehal, Taisha Turpin, Daneen Williams and Janis Wright.

About Volunteers of America

Volunteers of America-Greater New York is part of the national organization, Volunteers of America, which is dedicated to restoring hope, dignity and self-reliance to individuals and families in need. Founded in New York City more than 100 years ago, Volunteers of America provides help to those in need while creating opportunities for people to serve others. More than 55 programs in the metropolitan New York area serve over 38,000 homeless individuals and families, troubled youth, people living with AIDS and their families, people with mental illness or substance dependencies, criminal offenders rejoining society, and adults and children with developmental disabilities.

About Heller Ehrman LLP

Heller Ehrman LLP has 650 attorneys and professionals in 14 offices worldwide – Anchorage; Beijing; Hong Kong; London; Los Angeles; Madison, Wis.; New York; San Diego; San Francisco; Seattle; Shanghai; Silicon Valley; Singapore; and Washington, D.C. Heller Ehrman represents a wide range of industry leaders, from entrepreneurial, technology-driven enterprises to established, multinational conglomerates. The firm’s core values are Excellence, People, Teamwork, Innovation, Community and One Firm. For more information, visit www.hellerehrman.com.