For 25 years, the MCPS Drive for Supplies has brought students, staff, families, and community partners together to support students while promoting sustainability. This year’s milestone event, held Friday, July 24, at Gaithersburg High School, continued that tradition by helping families access school supplies and community resources ahead of the new school year.
More than 900 people received supplies during the event, made possible through a yearlong community effort. Nearly 90 MCPS schools participated in this year’s end-of-year cleanout, collecting more than 9,200 pounds of school supplies, including more than 1,500 pounds donated by community members and 440 pounds of newly purchased supplies.
“For 25 years, the MCPS Drive for Supplies has been more than a school supply collection — it has been a community tradition built on compassion, collaboration and the shared belief that every student deserves to start the school year prepared for success,” said John Meyer III, recycling and waste reduction manager in MCPS Sustainability and Compliance.
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The Drive for Supplies began through a partnership between MCPS and Wheaton-based nonprofit Learn Shop, Inc. Since then, students, staff, community partners and donors have worked together to extend the life of quality materials, reduce waste and help ensure students have the tools they need to succeed.
The event also highlighted the power of student leadership. Nearly 40 student volunteers spent the week sorting and organizing donated supplies, earning Student Service Learning (SSL) hours while helping prepare materials for distribution.
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In addition to school supplies, families connected with a variety of resources and services available onsite. Partners, including MCPS Food and Nutrition Services, the UpCounty Hub, Reach Hub, Rise N Shine, Montgomery County Health and Human Services, and the Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection, provided food distribution, sustainability information, and support with programs such as Free and Reduced-Price meals and SNAP benefits. More than 275 boxes of food were distributed through the partnership with the UpCounty Hub, helping to ensure that families had access to nutritious food as they prepared for the new school year. See the photos.
Read the original article at mcps