North Penn United Way school supply drive fills 1,200 backpacks
One of North Penn United Way’s three community goals is for all North Penn and Indian Valley students to succeed in school.
However, noted Betsy Roush, administrative manager of Roush Associates and United Way volunteer, there are struggling families for whom basic elementary school supplies are considered luxury items.
“When it comes down to food or school supplies, they’re going to choose feeding the kids,” she said.
Roush and Univest’s vicepresident of government services, Denise Yannarell, are co-chairs of North Penn United Way’s “Stuff the Bus” school supply drive. An existing national United Way service project, this is the fourth year that North Penn United Way has conducted a drive at the local level.
Besides K-6 students in the North Penn and Souderton Area school districts, backpacks containing folders, notebooks, paper, threering binders, glue sticks, pencils and erasers, tissues, scissors and more are also going to children in need that are clients of Carson Valley Children’s Aid, Indian Creek Foundation, Indian Valley and North Penn Valley Boys and Girls Clubs, Laurel House, MontgomHUy &RunWy 2IfiFH RI &KLOGUHn DnG Youth, North Penn Visiting Nurse Association, Penn Foundation and others.
The need continues to grow, YDnnDUHOO VDLG. “7KH fiUVW yHDU wDV 250 [backpacks] and now it’s up to 1,200,” she said.
Thirty-eight volunteers came out to stuff backpacks Wednesday at WKH HDWfiHOG 9ROunWHHU FLUH &RP- pany. “Some of the stuff that was in the bags, I was like: ‘wow’,” said Taneha North, who was lending a hand with coworkers from Merck & Company’s West Point human resources department. North’s coworker, Jennifer Skeeters, added that Merck employees give back to the community as part of a company team-building exercise.
North Penn High School seniors Alexandra Simon and Megan McAllister enjoyed the fast pace of WKH EDFNSDFN fiOOLnJ.
“It’s fun; I feel good about it,” 6LPRn VDLG, UHflHFWLnJ Rn DUHD FKLOdren that otherwise wouldn’t have a backpack this year. “I remembered how it’s so fun to get a new backpack for school.”
According to Yannarell, 450 backpacks were donated by Costco, 550 were donated by the Salvation Army and the rest were a combination of community donations and supplies purchased at a discount from Target.
A new addition to the backpacks this year is an age-appropriate children’s book from the newly founded Central Montgomery Chapter of First Book.
“There are kids who can’t afford their own books,” pointed out First Books’ Jennifer Wevodau, a HatfiHOG UHVLGHnW WKDW KHOSHG WR VWuII backpacks.
YDnnDUHOO WKDnNHG HDWfiHOG FLUH Company, Target, and Stuff the Bus sponsors National Penn Bank, WNPV, Costco, the Salvation Army, Univest and Care Force.