KINGSTON, R.I. — Oct. 21, 2019 — Thanks to the generosity of the University of Rhode Island’s fraternities and sororities and the wider campus community, the University’s Police Department will deliver boxes of school supplies to local communities during the next few days.

The fourth annual school supplies drive, headed by URI Community Policing Specialist Paul Hanrahan, will provide supplies for children who need assistance in elementary schools in South Kingstown, North Kingstown and East Greenwich.

Hanrahan said URI’s fraternities and sororities donated about $5,000 and the wider campus community donated another $300. The money allowed Hanrahan to buy everything from pencils to notebooks from W.B. Mason, Walmart and Staples. Boxes of supplies filled the URI Police Station this morning as Hanrahan and other officers prepared to load them up for the trips to local schools.

“The goal is to help children who don’t have the resources to buy these supplies to help them get a good start in school,” Hanrahan said. “Hopefully, we will get some future URI students off to a good start. Not only does this help local children, it helps us engage with our campus community and our surrounding towns.”

Police Maj. Michael Jagoda said this is one of the efforts that makes community policing so effective.

“URI students, faculty and staff can see us in action doing something positive and local residents can see that URI police are interested in the welfare of local children,” Jagoda said. “So when a critical incident occurs, we will have already formed a relationship with the people we are helping. We take pride in everything we do.”