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Shoppers at select Manhattan D’Agostino Supermarket locations on April 22 will get a colorful treat at checkout: Their groceries will be packed in paper bags decorated in honor of Earth Day by nursery school and preschool children. The kids’ artwork will additionally decorate the windows of the seven participating stores.

Using crayons, markers, glitter glue and more, children attending the Smarter Toddler Nursery and Preschool on 89th Street, the Montessori School of New York City, Tutor Time, the Village Preschool Center, and the Barrow Street Nursery School are creating one-of-a-kind bag designs. Additionally, in a first for the program, the kids at the Smarter Toddler location on 55th Street are decorating the grocery chain’s signature reusable D’Ag Bags with special fabric paint.

Rina Patel, director of education at the Smarter Toddler, started the initiative several years ago. “Our children vary from the ages of 3 months to 5 years old; they have the best imagination and artistic skills,” she said. “I really wanted to share their art with the customers of D’Agostino and let them see that children see the world as a beautiful place.”

This year, the five preschools taking part in the program attended window-painting parties at the seven D'Agostino locations – the largest number of participating stores to date -- ahead of the Earth Day bag distribution to customers.

“It’s just one of the ways we work with our local communities and neighborhoods, and celebrate all that New York has to offer,” noted Nick D’Agostino III, president and CEO of the Larchmont, N.Y.-based chain. “As New York’s local market, we believe it’s important to give back to our communities, and the kids love coming to the stores, learning and seeing their artwork on the windows and in the hands of customers. It makes New York the biggest small town in the country.

Source: Progressive Grocer