Learning from home or at school, students are in need of school supplies. On Saturday, August 8 from 9 a.m. to noon, North Coast Church is hosting its annual Backpack Drive to help local students get ready to learn from home or at school. The filled backpacks will go to local school districts and non-profit partners, who will distribute backpacks to students in need as well as local military families.
Last year’s Backpack Drive garnered more than 3,000 filled backpacks. With the help of the community, and the
more than 13,000 church members, organizers are aiming to surpass the success of last year’s drive. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, organizers are not only asking for the regular school supplies but also face masks, earbuds/headphones, and hand sanitizer so students are ready to learn from home or at school.
At this one-day event, the community is encouraged to drop off filled backpacks, as well as cash or check donations, at any church location. Filled backpacks with the suggested school supplies are preferred, however donations of new school supplies are welcome. North Coast Church locations and addresses are:
• Vista: 2405 North Santa Fe Avenue in Vista
• Carlsbad: 2310 Camino Vida Roble Suite 104 in Carlsbad
• Fallbrook: 1375 S. Mission Road in Fallbrook
• Pauma Valley: 32077 Community Church Drive in Pauma Valley
• Ramona: 1710 Montecito Road in Ramona
• Rancho Bernardo: 12245 World Trade Drive, Suite G in San Diego
• San Marcos/Escondido: 1451 Montiel Road in Escondido
To ensure the donation process is contact-free, social distance guidelines will be followed. Organizers are asking people to place donations in their trunk. Upon arrival, pop the trunk and volunteers will remove the donations.
With San Diego’s unemployment rate at an all time high of 13.9%, it is more important than ever to support local students and families. Whether students are learning at home or in a classroom, school supplies are needed. The cost of supplies is an added expense to already tight family budgets. In 2019, families with students in grades one through 12 planned to spend an average of $696 on back-to-school supplies according to the National Retail Federation.
Donations for middle and high school student backpacks are in most need. Suggested items for a filled middle or high school backpack include a backpack, mechanical pencils (12 count), blue or black pens (12 count), highlighters (6 count), a pencil pouch, a 2 inch binder, binder dividers, 3 college ruled spiral notebooks, 3 composition books, a USB flash drive, hand sanitizer, a face mask, and earbuds/headphones.
Suggested items for a filled elementary school backpack include a backpack, pencils (12 count), pencil sharpener, erasers, Crayons (24 count), washable markers (8 count), glue sticks, a pencil pouch, 2 wide ruled spiral notebooks, a composition book, hand sanitizer, a face mask, and earbuds/headphones.
Donations will be distributed through non-profit partners including Interfaith Community Services, North County Lifeline, Solutions for Change, and Step Forward as well as school district partners including Ramona, Poway, Pauma Valley and Fallbrook. School site partners include Pacific View Charter School in Oceanside, Rancho Santa Marta in Mexico, Maryland Elementary in Vista, and North Coast Church schools.
North Coast Church is a faith-based organization dedicated to actively serving the community above all else. For more information visit www.northcoastchurch.com.
