Back To School Shop, Inc. is an all volunteer organization that was founded in 2013 by two local women, Meryl Japha and Jane Levene. Meryl and Jane wanted to create an event in Stamford where children of low income families could "shop" for their own new school outfits and back to school supplies, like their more fortunate peers. They mobilized a steering committee of volunteers to run the event, enlisted the assistance of the Stamford Public School System, whose elementary school social workers identify the children most in need of the program each year. Initially, Back to School Shop operated under the auspices of United Jewish Federation of Greater Stamford, New Canaan and Darien, to give itself time to get established.  As of September 1, 2017, Back to School Shop, Inc. began operating independently as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. To date, Back to School Shop has served over 2800 elementary school children from the Stamford community.