Shopping For School A Struggle

Supplies Needed Across the Region

The back-to-school season is placing some area social service agencies closer than ever to the clients they serve: Both have an increased need for supplies.

With more people struggling to hold on to their jobs and their homes in the economic downturn, families are asking for help in record numbers, agencies and government officials said. And a number of agencies said they, too, need help filling requests. Some groups that traditionally have had robust back-to-school drives said they are struggling to secure enough donations.

Jennifer Rose, a community engagement specialist with Northern Virginia Family Service, said the number of families requesting backpacks for students this year doubled to 600. The need was so great in Montgomery County that organizers ran out of supplies on the first day of distribution.

"You see the sales for school supplies, but so many of our families don't have extra money," Rose said. "They're putting gas in their car. They're paying for prescriptions, clothes, school physicals: It all adds up."

Organizers of Operation Backpack, sponsored by Central Union Mission in the District, said they fear they will fall short of meeting their goal of filling 1,200 backpacks for students.

"Every year, parents facing financial difficulties look to the mission for help in providing proper school supplies for their children," said Executive Director David O. Treadwell. "We have never before missed our goal of supplying the children in our program with new supplies. It is hard to imagine, but this year some children may be left out. We could really use some help from the local community."

Central Union Mission hopes to distribute filled backpacks Saturday.

Last year, a spike in donations allowed Central Union to distribute more than 1,400 packs. But this year, Treadwell said, the organization is hearing from families who had not sought their services previously.

"From everything we've seen, the need is greater this year," he said.

The demand has prompted D.C. police's 7th District Citizens Advisory Council to ask the public to help collect donations for a school-supply drive. Donors are asked to drop school supplies at the station at 2455 Alabama Ave. SE by Friday. The supplies will be distributed to area children during the 7D Back to School Jamboree at the Congress Park Community Center on Friday.

Social service officials in Prince George's County also are seeking donations. They are focusing on the growing number of homeless students and students in foster care and transitional housing programs.

Some groups have distributed their supplies. In Montgomery, where the focus is on reusable supplies, 208 volunteers collected 14,480 pounds of supplies during the 10th annual Drive for Supplies last month.

Even though organizers received a record number of donations, the demand was so great that supplies ran out in a day.

All groups said that if people don't have time to shop for supplies, they can help by sending checks.

Here are some of the items groups are seeking:

-- Supplies including notebooks, calculators, dictionaries, facial tissue and other items, can be dropped off at the Prince George's County Department of Social Services, at 425 Brightseat Rd. in Landover. They should be labeled to the attention of Jasmine Brevard. For information, call 301-909-6318.

-- Anyone interested in sponsoring a child through the Central Union Mission should contact Ben Doggett at 202-745-7118, Ext. 260, or bdoggett@missiondc.org. The mission's Web site is http://missiondc.org.

-- Northern Virginia Family Service is looking for backpacks filled with supplies. People can also donate Ziploc bags, construction paper, hand sanitizer and flash cards to help students learn the alphabet and math skills. The group will accept donations through Monday at its office at 10455 White Granite Dr., Suite 100, Oakton, Va. 22124. The office is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays.

-- The District's 2nd Police District is hosting a supply drive through Friday. A drop box for supplies is in the lobby of the station at 3320 Idaho Ave. NW.