Open Door giving students fresh start on new school year

Open Door Family Medical Center, in collaboration with MVP Health Care and United Way of Westchester and Putnam, will celebrate National Health Center Week, which began Aug. 8, by extending its giveaway of school supplies for the entire month of August.

During this time, free backpacks, notebooks, pencils and school supplies will be given to all schoolchildren who come in for a visit at Open Door health centers during the back-to-school period. This includes Open Door medical and dental sites in Port Chester, Ossining, Mamaroneck, Mount Kisco, Sleepy Hollow, Brewster, its school-based health centers in Port Chester and Ossining, and its most recent center in Webutuck, which opened this past spring.

Open Door hopes to encourage families to bring children in for their medical and dental visits, immunizations, important health and developmental screenings, COVID-19 vaccines, sports physicals, etc.

“This is an opportunity to celebrate the work of community health care centers here and around the country that provide a safety net for their patients, but also a time to support the children in our local communities who have experienced so many challenges over the past two-and-a-half years because of the pandemic,” said Marilyn Pacheco, marketing director at Open Door. “We want to kick off the new school year by getting the kids in our communities excited for what we hope will be a happy, healthy 2022-2023 school year. This year, because of our expanded partnerships with MVP Health Care and United Way, we are happy to be able to provide giveaways of backpacks and supplies for the entire month of August.”

“Community Health Centers are an essential cornerstone to supporting the health and well-being of our children,” said MVP Health Care medical director and pediatrician, Dr. Kristen Navarette. “We are proud to partner again with Open Door to celebrate National Health Center Week and to support children in the community with backpacks and school supplies needed to get ready for school.”