Events help to provide school supplies for those in need
COSHOCTON – Beth Turley is hoping that the community can help her deliver a van full of school supplies to Coshocton Elementary School.
“My husband and I every year try to help a family or two and this year I wanted to step it up a little bit,” she said. “I have a lot of friends who are teachers at the elementary school and have seen with my own eyes that a lot of kids don’t have the stuff they need.”
Turley is hoping to fix that with the first Cram the Van School Supplies Drive. The event will be held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 4, at Baker’s IGA in the parking lot.
“I want to give back because I know what it’s like to be a single mom,” she said. “My kids are grown, but now I have eight grandchildren. I know what it’s like to have to worry about things like keeping the electric on or getting school supplies. There are so many kids that need help and seeing a child without hats or gloves on in the winter breaks my heart.”
Her drive is aimed toward helping students in kindergarten through sixth grade.
“I went and priced things and it came to $40 and that was on sale,” Turley said. “Some people don’t have that and there are extra costs that come as the school year goes on.”
She welcomes donations of school supplies, book bags, Clorox Wipes, hand sanitizer, tissues, and new hats, gloves, socks and underwear. Monetary donations will not be accepted.
“I have grandkids at Coshocton and I see the need every day,” Turley said. “We usually do things behind the scenes and have for a couple of years, but I really wanted to step it up a bit and help more than one or two families.”
She is hoping to completely fill her van on Aug. 4 with donations.
“When the van is filled I’m going to get with Dave Skelton, the principal up there, or one of the teachers and make arrangements to take our donations to the school and drop them off,” Turley said. “It’s tough out there and I just really wanted to be able to do more to help this year.”
Back to School Fair
New Beginnings Ministries in Warsaw also will hold its Back to School Fair from 4 to 6 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 4. The annual event offers free backpacks, school supplies, lice checks and haircuts to those in the community.
This is the ninth year for the church to host its Back to School Fair.
“This outreach was laid on Debi’s (Durr) heart to do as a local mission when the economy wasn’t doing well and many people were hit hard financially,” said Becky Hostetler. “We believe that we don’t have to travel to a far off land to help when there is a great need right at our back door. We have been blessed to continue this every year, and I love that it’s something we can get families and kids involved in.”
The event is for children in kindergarten through high school.
“We have no requirements based on income or family status,” Hostetler said. “All are welcome to come. There is always a short message from Pastor Kyle Dunfee, then the kids are able to pick out school supplies and a Bible, get a lice check and hair cut, girls can have their nails painted, then we have food available outside. If anyone wants to talk about their relationship with the Lord, or be prayed for, we have many people available for that.”
Helping Hands School Supply Drive
Women of Witness also are holding their annual school supplies distribution. They will distribute drawstring bags full of school supplies from 1 to 3 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 11 at the Word Worship Center, at the corner of Eighth and Orange streets. If you have any questions about supply bag pickup feel free to contact the office at 740-622-3797. The group does not ask for proof of income. All who have a need are welcome.
This is the 16th year for their Helping Hands School Supply Drive, which Kathy Hendricks, treasurer for Women of Witness, said started in 2002.
“It started by taking orders from people who were in need and was more individualized and one on one,” she said. “We went that route because it was only about 25 people at first that needed help, but then it went up to 50, then 75 and then blew up. Now we do about 500 bags. We even cover junior high and high school because of the need there.”
Donations of supplies can be placed in the box outside the Women of Witness office at 305 Main St. Monetary donations can be mailed to Women of Witness, P.O. Box 742, Coshocton, OH 43812. Women of Witness again had an opportunity to purchase drawstring bags at a greatly reduced price and are not in need of book bags.
“We’ve always been blessed,” Hendricks said. “When there is a need and I start panicking there is an answer. We don’t have a big carry over, but we always get what we need. There are so few of us in this now that we’ve thought about letting this project go, but we know we’ve got to keep going. It’s a blessing (for the community) that we can do and a calling the Lord gave us.”
Sales Tax Holiday
According to www.tax.ohio.gov, the sales tax holiday in Ohio starts on Friday, Aug. 3, at midnight and ends on Sunday, Aug. 5, at 11:59 p.m. During the holiday, the following items are exempt from sales and use tax: Clothing priced at $75 per item or less; school supplies priced at $20 per item or less; and school instructional material priced at $20 per item or less. Items used in a trade or business are not exempt under the sales tax holiday.
Category: Education
