MELROSE — For the 15th consecutive year, Edward Jones Financial Advisor Chris Cinella is collecting school supplies for local children who need them. All supplies will be given to Melrose families who require extra help or are being served by the Red Cross or the Melrose Emergency Fund. Donation drop-offs are accepted at the Edward Jones office located at 502 Main Street.
“The Melrose community’s generosity has continued to grow over the last 15 years,” said Cinella, a Melrose resident and former City Councilor. “When I started this program in 2010, we received a few dozen backpacks and supplies. In recent years, we regularly fill over 100 backpacks for Melrose kids.”
The 2025 Deloitte Back-to-School Survey projects that the average American household will spend approximately $570 per student on back-to-school expenses, with more than half of surveyed parents reporting anxiety about higher prices on school supplies this year. Economic pressures such as inflation, tariffs, and changes to the job market and federal tax policy are all expected to impact parents and caregivers as the 2025 school year begins.
“Every donation made to this drive will directly benefit a local student, making the Back to School season a little more comfortable for them and their families,” said Mayor Jen Grigoraitis. “Thank you to Chris, Karen, and Amy at Edward Jones for their work in organizing this successful, trusted and longstanding drive every summer.”
All types of new, unused school supplies are welcome, particularly pencils, pens, crayons, markers, erasers, notebooks, paper, binders, folders, backpacks, lunchboxes, child-safe scissors, glue sticks, staplers, calculators, headphones, and dry erase markers. Gift cards to stores that offer school supplies are especially impactful.
Supplies will be distributed to Melrose families through their local public school and through the Melrose Emergency Fund. Families should contact their respective school principal(s) to arrange pick up of needed supplies.