Adventist Community Services and Sligo Adventist Church are teaming up to collect school supplies for refugees and food pantry clients, many of whom live in the White Oak and Langley Park areas.
The goal is to fill at least 200 backpacks with supplies by Friday, August 16, during Shop Maryland Tax-Free Week. In addition to typical school supplies, organizers want to add a bar of hand soap and a few laundry pods to the backpacks, which the church has purchased.
“Who can forget or erase the images of trauma and drama we saw three years ago as Afghans struggled to escape the return of the Taliban? Or asylum seekers walking from Venezuela? Many of these families are now our neighbors,” said Ken Flemmer, the former executive director of Adventist Community Services, who retired last year but still volunteers with the nonprofit. “Our neighborhood kids need your help to get ready for the new school year.”
If physical shopping is challenging, ordering pre-assembled kits on Amazon.com offers options. Most kits will be similar to this list: 12 pencils, four pens, two glue sticks, five pencil erasers, three highlighters, one pencil sharpener, one ruler, one 24-pack of crayons, one 12-pack of colored pencils, one composition notebook, two spiral notebooks, one pair of scissors, two folders, and one storage box.
Supplies can be shipped or delivered by Friday, August 16, to Adventist Community Services at 501 Sligo Ave. in Silver Spring or Sligo Adventist Church at 7710 Carroll Ave. in Takoma Park. Additionally, monetary donations can be made by clicking the Donate Now button at acsgw.org and entering Refugee School Supplies in the memo line.
Photo: © TShum – istockphoto.com
