By MATT PIKE
The Salvation Army in St. Joseph is getting ready for its annual school supply drive next month and is in need of volunteers to assist with the event.
Each year, the Salvation Army packs backpacks for students in Buchanan County with school supplies so that kids have everything they need for that first day of school. School supplies are donated to the United Way of Greater St. Joseph and then some are given to the Salvation Army, but supplies can also be brought to the Salvation Army to be donated for the supply drive.
Social Services Director Emily Bravo says a big need currently is for backpacks.
"We always get a whole lot of the cute Mario and Lilo and Stitch backpacks, but it's the older kids' backpacks that we tend to not have enough of," Bravos says on the KEEQmunnity show.
A list of school supplies needed can be obtained from the United Way, and donations can be brought into the Salvation Army until backpacks are packed on August 12th. School supplies will be sorted on August 1oth.
Volunteers are needed to help with each phase of the distribution. Bravo says this year volunteers can easily sign up online to help out with what position and timeframe they would like to volunteer.
"We usually have plenty of volunteers for the day of distribution and pretty much enough for packing backpacks, it's usually that Monday and Tuesday when we're sorting supplies and opening packages, usually those are the days we don't have enough volunteers," Bravo explains. "But we could always use more volunteers."
Sorting on August 10th and 11th will go from around 10am to 2pm. Backpacks will be packed on August 12th, and the distribution will be held at the Salvation Army on August 13th, both days going from 9am to 1pm. If you are interested in volunteering, you can click HERE.
Bravo says last year the event served between 200 and 250 students, not including those that went into the United Way as well.
Interview
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