HOLA Donates School Supplies to “Hour Children” Nonprofit Group

Much needed back-to-school supplies were recently donated to children of incarcerated women and other community members by HOLA, the Heritage of Latinx Alliance Employee Resource Group at the Mount Sinai Health System.  HOLA made the donations in collaboration with Hour Children, a nonprofit organization that supports incarcerated women and their children.

“We were very happy to be able to give back in such a time of need,” says Kelley Gonzalez, an Information Technology trainer, who organized the event with Awanda Canelo, a billing coordinator and fellow HOLA member, and Kellie Phelan, the program coordinator of Hour Children.  HOLA members collected school supplies such as pens, pencils, books, crayons, and hand sanitizer, which were dropped off at the Corporate Services Center on 42nd Street. HOLA also provided an Amazon wish list link so that those who were not onsite could participate in the donation. On Tuesday, September 7, HOLA members passed out the donations, which had been loaded into colorful backpacks, at the Hour Children Community Pantry in Long Island City.

“It was a pleasure personally having the opportunity not only to collect donations, but in partnership with Hour Children and our Mount Sinai colleagues, we were able to hand out all of these supplies,” Ms. Canelo says. “Seeing the smiles on the children reminds us that our children are our future leaders.”

The organizers of the event expressed sincere thanks to those who donated supplies and to staff members, including billing coordinator Yvette Robles, who took out time of their schedules to help hand out supplies.