Why We Give Out Free Back-to-School Supplies in Sunset Park

The Real Cost of Back-to-School

Families across the U.S. expect to spend an average of $864 on back-to-school shopping this year, with $146 going toward school supplies alone, according to the National Retail Federation. It’s a cost most families budget for months in advance. But for low-income families, it’s not that simple.

Since 2021, Apex for Youth has hosted a Sunset Park Field Day for back-to-school season, so families can get the resources they need for September.

“With the closing of the Sunset Park Recreation Center due to construction in 2022, Apex sought to fill a gap in services and community engagement through a fun-filled field day. Year after year, Apex partners with local Brooklyn-based organizations to share relevant resources, host hands-on activities for kids of all ages, and provide free books and school supplies going into the upcoming school year. With the power of other nonprofits doing amazing work in the area, we are able to give back to a beautiful neighborhood and work to bring more and more resources to the Sunset Park community.” – Heather Lee, Community Network Manager 

Why We Do Back-to-School Field Day in Sunset Park

Sunset Park’s Community District (CD38) closely mirrors the population Apex serves citywide, and the numbers explain why back-to-school season hits differently here:

• Nearly 1 in 4 youth under 18 live in poverty 
• In District 7, which Sunset Park crosses into, 60% of Asian residents are rent-burdened, in a district that is 31% Asian 

Sunset Park is also one of the neighborhoods we serve through our programs for tiểu học, ở giữa, Và high school youth. We bring programming directly to our youth, with volunteers supporting them in the classroom and beyond, and staff who know the community’s needs firsthand because they show up in it week after week.

A Day of Free Supplies 

This Sunset Park Field Day, now in its 5th year, brought together:

• 600 families served 
• 500 backpacks, fully stocked
• 500 free books

11 local community partners. Every family who showed up left with what they needed for the school year ahead, no proof of income, no paperwork, no waiting.

The event was made possible by a wide network of partners, including NYU Langone, Brooklyn Book Bodega, Center for Family Life, Genspace, My Friend’s Place NY, NYC Parks, Voces Ciudadanas, Womankind, Mixteca, Brooklyn FC, New York Jianzi Club, Mizuho, Bloomingdale’s, Jane Street, and West Monroe. Corporate partners Mizuho, Jane Street, and West Monroe helped power the day directly, while Oaktree, Mizuho, and Daiwa donated supplies that stocked the backpacks kids took home.

How You Can Help

Back-to-school season isn’t a one-time cost for the families Apex serves; it’s one more pressure point in a year already shaped by rent, groceries, and stretched paychecks. Community events like Sunset Park Field Day exist to relieve pressure for our families and youth in need.

Donate to Apex for Youth to help us reach more youth this back-to-school season and throughout the year.