Aurora Methodists seek donations for school supplies drive Aug. 8
Aurora United Methodists are seeking donations of funds and school supplies for a free school-supply distribution Saturday, Aug. 8.
The ninth annual event will be held from 9 a.m. to noon or until supplies are distributed at Greenman Elementary School, 729 W. Galena Blvd., Aurora.
Students from Aurora schools are invited to get school supplies and backpacks. Students must attend to receive supplies.
The event is sponsored by Wesley and Fourth Street United Methodist churches in Aurora. About 50 volunteers from both churches will stage and distribute supplies.
Information booths will be sponsored by VNA Health Care, Aurora, and Justice for Our Neighbors, Aurora, a free immigration legal clinic at Fourth St. UMC.
Supplies needed are three-ring binders, two-pocket folders, highlighters, 24-pack crayons, washable markers, spiral-bound notebooks, black-ink pens, blue-ink pens, 12-inch rulers with inches and centimeters, supply boxes, round-tip scissors, No. 2 pencils, pink erasers and glue sticks.
Donations will be accepted at Wesley UMC, 14 N. May St. and Fourth St. UMC, 551 S. Fourth St., through Monday, July 20.
Wesley office hours are 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Friday, and 9 a.m. to noon Tuesday and Thursday. Fourth St. UMC office hours are 9 a.m. to noon Tuesday through Friday.
The Rev. Gary Hougen of Batavia, a retired UMC pastor, is coordinating the project. He said the goal is to assist 500 Aurora students with supplies for school.
About 400 students received supplies during last year's distribution at Greenman.
The school was adopted by Wesley UMC several years ago. After the first six distributions were held at Wesley, the effort was moved to Greenman.
Rev. Hougen said the distribution is sponsored by Aurora United Methodist churches and businesses that care about the education and health of local children.
"This is a community effort to give necessary school supplies to students who could not otherwise afford them," Rev. Hougen said. "We care that kids should have the tools to learn with at school. We hope to distribute backpacks of school supplies to students from all grades from the East and West Aurora school districts. If necessary, we will purchase school supplies at local stores to keep the effort in Aurora.
Both the value of the supplies and monetary donations are tax deductible.
For more information, call (630) 896-1033, (630) 897-5257 or email info@schoolsupplygiveaway.org.