School Supply Drive Ends With Block Party

As the summer nights shorten and school looms larger on student calendars, the question of school supplies becomes unavoidable.

For many in the larger Pottstown community, it's not the shopping for an ever-elusive notebook or the right highlight color that poses a problem, so much as what happens when you get to the check out.

Often enough, area teachers buy some of those supplies for their students out of their own pocket.

To help out, and to lessen that unfair financial burden, several Pottstown churches and organizations are collecting schools supplies to provide to teachers to ensure as many children as possible start on a level playing field, at least when it comes to pencils, pens, notebooks, erasers and other items necessary for the well-stocked desk.

And there's even a block party scheduled as an incentive for one drive.

Bethel Community Church of Pottstown

But first, here is the effort underway by Bethel Community Church of Pottstown, which is working through a national website called RightGift.com for its Help Kids Succeed School Supply Drive.

For the next 12 days, those so included can go to https://rightgift.com/nonprofits/bethel-community-church-of-pottstown/wish-lists/bd7794c6-f138-47eb-94be-711046f627e8 where a list of specific items needed can be found and purchased for distribution.

"BCCP Mission's Ministry is soliciting "School Supplies and Backpacks" for kids in the Pottstown, Pottsgrove and surrounding school districts. Please help by donating school supplies and backpacks for boys and girls of all ages," the site notes.

Habitat and PCA

Since July 15 through Aug. 15, Habitat for Humanity of Montgomery County and Pottstown Community Action have teamed up for a school supply drive.

Donations can of crayons, pencils, pencil cases, tissues, glue sticks, erasers and more can be made at Grumpy's Hand Carved Sandwiches, 157 E. High St. in Pottstown. 

Those supplies will be re-distributed to area teachers.

Drive and Block Party

Habitat and PCA are also participating in a wider school supply effort that also includes Hobart's Run, Heart of God Family Worship Center, Community First, New Eden Fellowship Church and Sisters Helping Sisters.

The Pottstown community is invited to a Block Party, Saturday, Aug. 24, from 4-8 p.m., on the field along Beech Street between Green and Edgewood. Participants will enjoy free hot dogs as well as food vendors, children’s activities including a bouncy house and face-painting, games, and music and a dance team performance.

While bringing families from our town together, this event also will culminate a drive to collect classroom supplies for teachers in the Pottstown District’s elementary schools. Planners also plan to present knapsacks of nonperishable healthy snacks to local children.

The Block Party is being organized by Heart of God Family Worship Center and Sisters Helping Each Other; Pottstown Community Action; and Community First, as well as Hobart’s Run – with generous support of the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development, Genesis Housing, BB & T, and WSFS Bank.

Heart of God is collecting supplies specifically for teachers, namely glue sticks, tissues, large pump bottles of hand sanitizer, sanitizer wipes, dry erasers and dry erase markers, and pencils, as well as snacks such as small bags of pretzels, juice boxes, gummies, and granola bars.

Items may be dropped off through Aug. 23 at Hobart’s Run at 701 E. High Street (email hobartsrun.pottstown@gmail.com if you’d like to stop by with donations) and at the North End Swim Club, 901 N. Adams St. 

PCA also is collecting these items, as well as crayons, pencil cases, tissue paper, pipe cleaners, lunch-sized paper bags and Ziplock bags, construction paper, erasers, stickers, index cards, and Sharpie markers. All can be dropped off through Aug. 15 at Grumpy’s Hand-Carved Sandwiches at 157 E. High Street or Hobart’s Run.

Block party attendees are welcome to bring additional classroom supplies for distribution.

Hobart’s Run will be breaking out the fun and games provided through the generosity of the Gimbel Charitable Trust which allowed us to purchase a variety of equipment ranging from bubble soccer ball sets to croquet, corn hole, soccer balls, and other items!