WESTPORT — The new academic year in Westport gets underway in two weeks, prompting town Department of Human Services officials to seek donations to help support local school children and their families in need of financial assistance.

Two DHS programs — “Back-to-School” and “After-School Childcare” — support income-eligible residents who may “struggle to afford basic school supplies, new clothing and, in some cases, reliable after-school care for their children throughout the school year,” Elaine Daignault, the department’s director, said in a statement announcing the campaign.

Working families, she added, may be challenged “to meet the financial demands of providing food, covering housing costs, affording childcare and purchasing clothes and shoes for their growing children.”

Tax-deductible donations of any amount are sought, Daignault said, and will be directly applied to help children and their families.

Donations can be made several ways:

  • Checks by mail, which should made payable to: Westport Department of Human Services and sent to Town Hall, 110 Myrtle Ave., Westport, CT  06880. (On checks, note Family Programs — Back-to-School or After-School program — in the memo line).
  • Gift card donations also can be mailed or dropped off at the Department of Human Services office in Town Hall’s Room 200.

For more information, call the DHS office at 203-341-1073.

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