Christine Adkins is starting to worry about whether there will be enough school supplies to fill the 350 backpacks for low-income children in the community.
“We still have a few weeks, usually it’s not a problem, but we haven’t had very many people stop by. I don’t know if it’s a sign of the economy or if it’s just too early,” said Adkins, who organizes the school supply drive for Enumclaw Youth and Family Services and Plateau Outreach Ministries.
With the start of school in the Enumclaw area set for Aug. 31, school supplies and backpacks will be collected until Aug. 13. The backpacks will be distributed from 10 a.m. to noon Aug. 20 at J.J. Smith Elementary School.
Students will need: calculators, binders, packs of paper, colored pencils, No. 2, plain, yellow pencils, rulers, tissue boxes, packs of pens, glue bottles, glue sticks, crayons (16 count), watercolor markers (eight count), scissors, pencil sharpeners, packs of erasers, spiral notebooks, Mead composition notebooks, folders with pockets and dividers. It is asked that only new supplies be donated.
Supplies may be dropped at the Enumclaw Youth Center, 1356 Cole St. For more information contact Adkins at Enumclaw Youth Center at 360-825-4586, extension 5654.
• The White River Family Support Center is planning a family fun day from 5 to 6:30 p.m. Aug. 25 in the Wickersham campus gymnasium, 250 W. Main, in Buckley. At this time, free school supplies will be distributed. There will also be crafts and refreshments.
The center is in need of the following supplies: Backpacks without wheels, school supplies boxes, colored pencils, colored markers, sets of watercolor paints, highlighters, blue pens, red pens, No. 2 pencils, erasers, scissors, rulers, wide and college ruled paper, three-ring binders, subject dividers, pocket folders and calculators. They can be dropped at center during regular hours.
To register, call Danniel at 360-829-5883 or Klara at 253-845-9177. Registered families will be served first.
• The Black Diamond Community Center is collecting donations of school supplies and clothing for low-income children, ages 5 to 18 for distribution between 6 and 8 p.m. Aug. 27, before school starts, at Family Resource Night at the Black Diamond Elementary School multipurpose room. Application deadline is Aug. 26.
Items needed are: three-ring binders, folders, wide and college-ruled spiral notebooks, wide and college-ruled loose-leaf paper, pencils, pens, markers, crayons (24 pack), colored pencils (24 pack), glue sticks, back packs, pencil pouches/boxes, round-tipped scissors, erasers, rulers, Kleenex boxes and gallon-sized Ziploc bags.
Organizers are also accepting winter clothing items like T-shirts, coats, jeans, shoes and other items in children and teen sizes.
To donate items, or to sign up to receive items, call 360-886-1011 or come to the Black Diamond Community Center at 31605 Third Ave., state Route 169, between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.
• Buono Coffee in Wilkeson is helping Plateau schools by serving as a collection point for school supplies. Community members can bring their donations of backpacks, pencils, paper and more to the shop at 529 Church St. between 6 a.m. and 3 p.m. Monday through Friday and 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Employees will also pick up large donation deliveries or stay open later for those who cannot make regular hours. For information, call 360-829-1237.
