Local Forces Unite to Provide School Supplies to West Harlem Youth

Each year, Manhattan’s 26th Precinct police department, the West Harlem Development Corporation and Manhattan Community Board 9 join forces to host the ‘Back 2 School” block party on 125th Street and Old Broadway in Harlem, NYC. The event is usually a huge success as it provides a much needed day of fun and distribution of key resources to West Harlem residents. What most people do not know is that the event is made possible due to the behind-the scenes efforts of many groups who use their connections to collect school supplies that fill the backpacks given to youth at the block party. Columbia University’s Office of Public Safety, which belongs to the university’s larger Facilities and Operations department, is one of many groups that play a role in supply collection of donations that end up at the 26th Precinct to be sorted and put into backpacks. Through teamwork and this display of unity amongst various institutions and stakeholders, the community ultimately benefits the most.

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Ricardo Morales, Assistant Director of Crime Prevention at Columbia University’s Department of Public Safety, loads up a dolly full of school supplies as he and his colleagues prepare to transport the donations to the 26th Precinct. The Department of Public Safety’s office in Low Library is one of several drop off sites located across the university’s campuses. ©Henry Danner, 2022, All Rights Reserved

Ricardo Morales in his office in Low Library. Morales has been at the university for 37 years and has been in charge of coordinating Public Safety’s participation in the school supply drive for the last 7 years. ©Henry Danner, 2022, All Rights Reserved

Ricardo Morales holds an award he was given in 2018 by the 26th Precinct for his dedication to the surrounding community. Morales says that he is very proud of the work he does with the community because he believes that crime prevention starts with educating the youth. ©Henry Danner, 2022, All Rights Reserved

CU Public Safety officers Ricardo Morales and Adulfo Blanco pack supplies as they prepare to drop them off at the 26th Precinct.©Henry Danner, 2022, All Rights Reserved

Public Safety officers Ricardo Morales, Adulfo Blanco and Amin Torres load up their cruiser with donations of school supplies as they prepare to deliver them to the 26th Precinct. ©Henry Danner, 2022, All Rights Reserved

Youth from the 26th Precinct’s NYPD Explorers program unpack boxes of school supplies. The organization of the donations is an all-hands-on-deck effort that lasts for days prior to the annual Back to School Block Party. ©Henry Danner, 2022, All Rights Reserved

Detective Johanna Ureña of the 26th Precinct’s Community Affairs unit has been on the force for over 20 years. She oversees the school supply drive and the Back to School event where the supplies are distributed. ©Henry Danner, 2022, All Rights Reserved

Community Affairs Officer Anna Cardenas organizes school supplies at the 26th Precinct. ©Henry Danner, 2022, All Rights Reserved

Once all of the school supply donations are unpacked and sorted, volunteers load them into backpacks. The backpacks are filled with a variety of materials appropriate for different age groups. The bags are then tagged with colored wristbands to distinguish between the age ranges. ©Henry Danner, 2022, All Rights Reserved

Deputy Inspector Alexandra Sarubbi and Detective Johanna Ureña and youth from the 26th Precincts NYPD Explorers program after a long day of unpacking and sorting supplies for the annual Back to School event. ©Henry Danner, 2022, All Rights Reserved

Children play in a bouncy house during the annual Back to School event on August 25, 2022 in West Harlem. The event is hosted every year by the 26th Precinct, Community Board 9 and the West Harlem Development Association, and is made possible by donations from a variety of partners including Columbia University. ©Henry Danner, 2022, All Rights Reserved

Public Safety Officer Amin Torres speaks to some community members during the annual Back to School event in West Harlem. Torres works alongside, Ricardo Morales who says that the Department of Public Safety and the 26th Precinct officers’ participation in community events help community members to view law enforcement members as a valuable resource.©Henry Danner, 2022, All Rights Reserved

Attendees at the Back to School event check out Columbia University Zuckerman Institute’s BioBus — a retrofitted Airstream trailer that serves as a science lab on wheels.©Henry Danner, 2022, All Rights Reserved

A young child peeks through a microscope on board the Columbia University Zuckerman Institute BioBus during the Back to School event in West Harlem. ©Henry Danner, 2022, All Rights Reserved

A group of girls participate in a dance competition during the Back to School event in West Harlem.©Henry Danner, 2022, All Rights Reserved

Attendees focused on the live entertainment at the Back to School event in West Harlem.©Henry Danner, 2022, All Rights Reserved

Attendees at the West Harlem Back to School event watching a dance competition. ©Henry Danner, 2022, All Rights Reserved

CU Public Safety officers Ricardo Morales and Amin Torres enjoying a dance competition at the West Harlem Back to School event. ©Henry Danner, 2022, All Rights Reserved

A child celebrates being selected as the winner of a dance competition during the Back to School event in West Harlem. ©Henry Danner, 2022, All Rights Reserved

Bry’ton Mack shows off a prize he won by participating in a dance contest at the Back to School event in West Harlem. ©Henry Danner, 2022, All Rights Reserved

Columbia University Public Safety officers Ricardo Morales and Amin Torres take photos of youth as they pose with a cardboard cutout of McGruff the Crime Dog. ©Henry Danner, 2022, All Rights Reserved

A girl gets her hair braided by a volunteer hair stylist at the Back to School event in West Harlem. The hair braiding is provided at no cost and was one of many free resources provided at the annual event. ©Henry Danner, 2022, All Rights Reserved

Mia Castillo and her mother Sandra strike a pose after Mia received a complimentary hair style at the Back to School event in West Harlem. ©Henry Danner, 2022, All Rights Reserved

Attendees at the Back to School event line up to receive backpacks filled with school supplies. ©Henry Danner, 2022, All Rights Reserved

Attendees at the Back to School event receive backpacks filled with school supplies. ©Henry Danner, 2022, All Rights Reserved

A child digs through a backpack he received at the Back to School event in West Harlem. ©Henry Danner, 2022, All Rights Reserved

Clarissa Martinez and Sofia Rodriguez show off the backpacks they received at the Back to School event in West Harlem. The pair said that they are going to work hard to get good grades during the upcoming school year. ©Henry Danner, 2022, All Rights Reserved

Children pose with backpacks that they received at the Back to School event in West Harlem.©Henry Danner, 2022, All Rights Reserved

A group of children are all smiles after receiving backpacks filled with school supplies at the Back to School event in West Harlem. ©Henry Danner, 2022, All Rights Reserved

Detective Ureña greets a parent after she was given a backpack for her child. ©Henry Danner, 2022, All Rights Reserved

This story was also publised on Columbia Neighbors