Lorie Spain with The Hope Center holds a “Learn United” School Supply Drive Collection Box. The Hope Center is one of nine public collection sites for this year’s school supply drive. (Photo submitted)
Editor’s note: The following information is supplied by the United Way of Union County.
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United Way of Union County kicked off its annual “Learn United” School Supply Drive Monday.
“This year we had to be creative,” United Way Director Corinne Bix said. “As in year’s past, we have drop off locations around the county but we are also encouraging donations via our secure online platform and we created an Amazon Wish List where items can be shipped directly to our offices.”
Bix said this year’s drive might be more important because annual school supply shopping is normal.
“The pandemic has turned the world upside down and we are all learning how to re-calculate our everyday lives,” she said. “We no longer take normalcy for granted and crave those things that we know, access for all students to new school supplies is something we can make happen.”
Public collection sites as of July 20 include: Parrott Implement in Richwood; Edward Jones Investments (Columbus Avenue, London Avenue and Scotts Farm Boulevard locations), Honda Marysville, Marysville Public Library, and The United Way of Union County. Two new collection sites this year are Home Depot and The Hope Center.
“We are very grateful for the locations that are willing to take on-site donations,” Bix said. “COVID-19 has made everything more challenging and we wanted to make sure we had some public donation sites that were accessible for anyone that wants to donate.”
In addition, several local businesses will be collecting internally among staff.
All area school districts in Union County and Plain City are contacted prior to the school supply drive to ensure the cumulative list includes supplies being requested by teachers for the 2020-21 school year.
A complete list of items and collection sites can be found on the United Way of Union County’s website (unitedwayofunioncounty.org).
The collection will end on Aug. 10. All donations will be sorted by volunteers at the Central Ohio Youth Center and distributed directly to schools in the Fairbanks, Jonathan Alder, Marysville and North Union districts before the start of the school year. Those in need of supplies should contact their child’s school to learn more.
Businesses interested in becoming a collection point may contact Bix at uwuc.corinne@gmail.com.