The first day of school is quickly approaching, and with that comes back-to-school shopping.
This year, the National Retail Federation found that families with children in elementary school to high school plan to spend roughly $874 on back-to-school clothing, supplies and electronics.
According to the Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) website, more than 70,000 MCPS students receive free and reduced-price meals, and many families struggle to afford necessities such as school supplies.
Here are four initiatives providing school supplies for students and accepting donations or volunteers:
MCPS Drive For Supplies
Started in 1999, the MCPS Drive for Supplies is a collaboration between the school system and Learn Shop Inc., a nonprofit in Wheaton that gives students “an opportunity to directly support their schools and communities” by donating reusable school supplies. Since 2002, MCPS has collected 102 tons of reusable school and office supplies.
“Through this project [students] practice the ‘reduce, reuse, recycle’ process while earning student service learning hours towards their graduation requirement,” the supply drive website states.
The 25-year-old program stopped collecting school supplies June 13, but the Drive for Supplies distribution event will be held from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday at Parkland Middle School, 4610 West Frankfort Drive in Rockville.
MCPS GIVE BACKpacks
Although the deadline for Drive for Supplies has passed, community members can donate money to the MCPS GIVE BACKpacks program all year round.
According to the program’s website, a $20 donation will provide a student in need with a backpack of school supplies. Backpacks with school supplies will be delivered to schools, and each school’s administrative team decides on the best process to distribute backpacks to students.
In 2023-2024, 10,906 students were provided with backpacks and school supplies thanks to donations, according to the program.
Those interested in donating can provide checks, send a text or fill out a form on the MCPS Foundation website.
United Way of the National Capital Area’s Stuff the Bus
United Way of the National Capital Area’s Stuff the Bus program provides backpacks with school supplies to middle school students at six schools in Washington, D.C., and the surrounding counties in Maryland and Virginia. In Montgomery County, the Stuff the Bus campaign serves A. Mario Loiederman Middle School in Silver Spring.
In 2023, the campaign delivered nearly 2,000 backpacks and supplies to schools in the region.
Community members can make a monetary contribution, purchase and donate a gift from the United Way NCA’s Amazon Wishlist or volunteer to stuff backpacks during the group’s in-person volunteer event.
The Stuff the Bus Campaign is scheduled for Aug. 7 at 2701 Goodhill Road in Silver Spring.
Takoma Park Police Department Back to School Backpack Donation Drive
The Takoma Park Police Department will be collecting backpacks and school supplies through Aug. 16. Requested supplies include binders, loose-leaf paper, subject dividers, spiral notebooks, No. 2 pencils, scissors, pens, index cards and more.
Donors are asked to purchase a backpack, fill it with one or more basic supplies and then drop it off in the donation box in the lobby of the Takoma Park Police Department at 7500 Maple Ave. Supplies can also be dropped off.