School Supply Giveaway

By: Phyllis Sweitzer

I believe that God allows events in our lives for a greater purpose than we realize.  As a child I was raised by a guardian.  My parents did not provide for my needs.  As a result, there were often times when I did not have what I needed for school.  Because of this experience as a child, I was led to begin a Giveaway of clothing and school supplies to children who were in need.  The project was birthed in 2002.  The Women’s Ministries Group collected used clothing and donated school supplies from church members and gave them to the children.  The event was called the Back to School Clothing and School Supply Giveaway.  We advertised the date and time for the Giveaway.

Little did we realize that all of the donated school supplies would be gone in an hour.  It was a very emotional time when a young boy who had been there early and looked over all the clothing came to us and asked if we had any shoes that would fit him.  We had no  shoes to give him and he burst into tears.  Realizing the great need in our community we continue to have this outreach yearly.

Since those days the Giveaway has grown steadily.  It is still organized by Women’s Ministries, but many volunteers throughout the church assist us in the outreach. We now serve approximately 400 children each year by supplying them with new school supplies and gently used clothing to start the school year.

Over the years we have received donations from local businesses and individuals.  We would be happy to accept any donation made to our cause and welcome any child who is in need to come and get what they need for school.   All who give monetary donations will receive a receipt for tax purposes.

The School Supply Giveaway is held the first Saturday in August each year.