Annual School Supply Drive
Information provided by Douglas County Educational Foundation
The Douglas County Educational Foundation (DCEF) along with Panther Food Pantry and the Giving Tree has kicked off its annual school supply drive. “We want to make sure that every single Douglas County student has the supplies he or she needs to start school and be successful,” said Amy Sherman, president of the DCEF Board of Trustees. “Even though back-to-school is a long way off we are already planning to help hundreds of students in need.”
According to Sherman, last year DCEF raised more than $20,000 and provided 600 students with supplies ranging from notebooks to calculators. “This year, we hope to best that number by giving teachers additional supplies for their classrooms,” continued Sherman.
DCEF has joined with a number of community organizations to collect school supplies. The lengthy list of community partners includes Leadership Douglas County, the Giving Tree, Douglas County Libraries, Douglas County Safeway stores, Douglas/Elbert Task Force, Panther Pantry, Waste Management, Walgreens, Kaiser Permanente Colorado, DIRECTV, the US Army, Chambers of Commerce, the Meadows Neighborhood Company, Sam’s Club and others.
“On behalf of the Panther Food Pantry, we are thrilled to be partnering with the DCEF to assemble backpacks bursting with school supplies for students in need in Douglas County. On a daily basis, we see the incredible need in this community that many people do not see. With the efforts of amazing organizations and the community, we can help ease the burden of ‘back to school’ shopping for many families and students in the district,” said Panther Pantry Director Jen Zander.
Donations are being collected at the following locations: Douglas County School District Administration Building, Douglas County Chambers of Commerce offices (including the Castle Pines Chamber), Belly-Up Spa in Highlands Ranch, Smart Cow Yogurt in Castle Rock and the U.S. Army Recruiting Station in Parker. Beginning in July, seven Douglas County libraries will collect donations and on Saturday, July 20, Safeway stores across Douglas County will accept donations.
“The Giving Tree school supply effort is a perfect match to the vision of the library and staff to help develop well-rounded students. Having the right supplies to get a good start on the school year is critical for every child. And if this is a way to welcome the generosity of our patrons towards that goal, we want to be as supportive as possible,” said Susan Squyer, Leadership Douglas County’s Giving Tree.
Douglas County Educational Foundation supports the students, schools, and teachers in the Douglas County School District. For more information, visit www.dcefcolorado.org.
