WESTFIELD-The annual “Shred Day” is slated next month to raise funds for the CSF Westfield Dollars for Scholars program.
“Since 2012, CSF Westfield Dollars for Scholars has hosted the annual Shred Day fundraiser through the generosity of Valley Green Shredding, LLC,” said Cynthia Neary, president of the local organization. “The motto of Valley Green Shredding, LLC is ‘Your Neighbor, Your Partner in Document Shredding.’ This Westfield company is a generous, caring neighbor to donate their services to support scholarships for our own Westfield students.”
Neary noted the annual Shred Day was not conducted last year due to COVID restrictions to protect the safety of community members.
The event will take place on April 17 from 9 a.m. – noon or until the truck is full in the parking lot of the Westfield Senior Center at 45 Noble St., and organizers are asking residents not to arrive early.
“COVID protocol must be followed by everyone,” said Neary, adding, “Do not attend if you feel sick, and masks must be worn and social distancing must be maintained.”
Attendees must remain in their vehicle and pay with the exact amount. The donation is $5 per box and there is a limit of three boxes. All boxes must be accessible in the trunk or back of the vehicle.
“Boxes should be a reasonable size so they can be lifted by one volunteer,” said Neary, adding, “Attendees must follow all instructions and no pets should be in the vehicles.”
Dick Holcomb and Laurie Lombardini are Dollars for Scholars board members who are organizers of the fundraiser.
“Some CSF board members will volunteer at this event, but more volunteers would be appreciated,” said Neary.
For persons interested in volunteering their time during the Shred Day, send an email to [email protected].
Since 1962, CSF Westfield has awarded $3,646,915 to 6,451 “deserving Westfield scholars,” said Neary.
“This year we hope to award more than $130,000 in scholarships,” she said. “CSF Westfield depends totally on donations from our caring community to help make college dreams come true for our hometown scholars. For almost 60 years, the proud citizens and businesses of Westfield have generously supported CSF Westfield Dollars for Scholars.”
With the CSF Westfield mailing campaign underway, Neary said letters requesting donations were mailed in February to hundreds of individuals and businesses.
Donations are also welcome year round and can be mailed to CSF Westfield Dollars for Scholars, P.O. Box 382, Westfield MA 01086-0382. Donations received by March 31, 2021 will be awarded to Westfield students this May, while donations received after March 31 will be awarded in May 2022.
“Normally we also held a raffle to raise funds at our annual awards night ceremony in May,” said Neary. “The safety of our community is paramount, so no ceremony was held last year and we will not hold a ceremony this May.”
Neary added that scholarship recipients will be notified by mail in early May.
“After recipients complete the final application requirement, scholarship checks and the stories of their named scholarships will be mailed to them,” she said.
To be eligible for a scholarship, applicants must be a resident of Westfield. Also, the applicant must be a high school senior who has been accepted into at least one college, or is an undergraduate college student. Applicants must be full-time in undergraduate studies in an accredited program of higher education. Students can receive CSF scholarships a maximum of four times during their full-time undergraduate education.
“Our CSF Westfield scholarships are awarded based on academic merit and financial need, so applicants must have a FAFSA SAR report with an EFC of $60,000 or less,” added Neary. “Only students who have completed all the requirements for a CSF scholarship by the deadline are eligible to be considered.”
The scholarship application deadline is March 15, and applications and the additional requirements can be found at https://csfwestfield.dollarsforscholars.org.
“All the activities associated with awarding these scholarships are administered totally by local volunteers,” said Holcomb. “Westfield CSF is a prime example of Westfield residents down-home support for our students as shown by the annual number and amount of awarded scholarships.”
