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Agencies seek donations of school supplies
YOUNGSTOWN
Beatitude House and the Mahoning County Salvation Army are seeking donations of school supplies for distribution to the children of low-income families on Friday.
Beatitude House, which serves disadvantaged women and children in the Mahoning Valley by creating homes, providing education and fostering healthy families, is accepting donations through Wednesday at its administrative offices at 238 Tod Lane on the campus of St. Edward Parish in Youngstown or in Warren at 1370 Tod Ave. NW. Donations can be dropped off between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. at both Beatitude House locations.
Beatitude House annually offers a “mock store” where about 75 children served by the agency can shop for school supplies and clothing, including uniforms, for the upcoming school year.
Items needed include new or gently used school uniforms consisting of blue or tan pants/shorts and white, red or light blue polo shirts, shoes, new socks and new underwear. There are children in preschool through high school, so all sizes are needed, Beatitude House officials said.
Classroom supplies needed include pencils, pens, notebooks, folders, glue, highlighters, rulers, pencil boxes, crayons, markers and colored pencils. Backpacks have been donated by Huntington Banks.
The Salvation Army is asking that the community donate backpacks, school supplies or financial contributions to be used for the purchase of back-to-school items for at-risk, low- income Mahoning County children. The items should be dropped off before Friday at 1501 Glenwood Ave., where items will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.
Mahoning County residents, at or below 200 percent of the federal poverty level with children in grades K-12 are eligible to receive back-to-school support through the Salvation Army. Those seeking assistance are asked to bring a picture I.D. for all the adults in the home, birth certificates or custody papers for all the children in the home, and a human-services printout from Mahoning County Job and Family Services on Friday.
“We believe that educating today’s youth is a top priority, and without the necessary supplies, students face a major disadvantage at school. Every student deserves to be ready for the first day of school. The Salvation Army is proud to partner with the community to provide at-risk children with the tools they need to succeed in school and life. It’s great to see the kids smile when they receive their bags and new supplies they wouldn’t otherwise have to start the new school year with,” said Maj. Valerie Kahn, Salvation Army Mahoning County Area coordinator.