SCHUYLKILL COUNTY, Pa. — There's a community effort in Schuylkill County to help alleviate back-to-school expenses for so many families.
"This is fun. We had so much fun last year. It's just a great process. They're so organized in everything they do. It's easy to pick stuff up and go fast!" said Susan McCann of Quakake.
Volunteers worked fast on Monday to stuff more than 2,000 backpacks with notebooks, pens, erasers—everything a student needs.
The Schuylkill United Way purchased some school supplies with donations from area businesses. Others were donated at drop boxes around the county.
"Just about everywhere that you looked, there was a stuff-the-bus box, and people contributed supplies into those boxes. We bring those boxes here to the Salvation Army, and we sort them and put them in the backpacks for the children in our community," said Kelly Malone, the Schuylkill County United Way executive director.
Then adults and kids alike team up to fill the backpacks at the Salvation Army in Pottsville.
"I am here to help out with all of the organizing for the kids that need school supplies, and we just want to make sure they get everything they need just in time for school," said Paige Merena from North Schuylkill High School.
They know the supplies inside will help families across Schuylkill County.
"With the economy today, and everything that's going on, jobless rate, I think this is an extra hand for kids' families," McCann said.
More than a dozen community organizations take the backpacks from here and distribute them to families in need, making that first day feel a whole lot better.
"The fresh pencils, the fresh pens, the fresh crayons–I like to say it's like handing us as adults a million dollars," Malone added. "It makes them have self-worth. It makes them want to do better in school, and that's what the ultimate goal is."
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