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Church giving away school supplies

| 12 Sep 2018 | 01:00
    Everyone needs yellow markers for underlining important facts.
    Everyone needs yellow markers for underlining important facts.
    Parents and students prepare for the first day of school by choosing necessary items.
    Parents and students prepare for the first day of school by choosing necessary items.
    From left, Church volunteers, Nancy Malone, Carrie Fairhurst, Carole LaValle, Debbie Lennon and Gary Conklin are ready to distribute school supplies for the 2018-2019 school year.
    From left, Church volunteers, Nancy Malone, Carrie Fairhurst, Carole LaValle, Debbie Lennon and Gary Conklin are ready to distribute school supplies for the 2018-2019 school year.
    From left, Church volunteers, Nancy Malone, Carrie Fairhurst, Carole LaValle, Debbie Lennon and Gary Conklin are ready to distribute school supplies for the 2018-2019 school year.
    From left, Church volunteers, Nancy Malone, Carrie Fairhurst, Carole LaValle, Debbie Lennon and Gary Conklin are ready to distribute school supplies for the 2018-2019 school year.

Editor's Note: This story was altered to correct the location, denomination of the church of the good shepherd and to specify that it has more than 30 parishioners.

bY jANET REDYKE
WANTAGE — With the proverbial school bell set to ring soon throughout Sussex County, the parishioner volunteers at the Good Shepherd Episcopal Church in Wantage, organized a free school supply giveaway on Saturday, Aug. 18.
Key organizer and church member Debbie Lennon contacted area school districts and after receiving school necessity lists, began collecting donated school items.
“Good Shepherd has (more than) 30 parishioners, yet they were able to supply so many items,” Lennon commented.
Partnering with Thrivent, an insurance and financial company in Minnesota, Lennon was able to access a $250 grant to supplement the parishioners’ generous donations. The donation team purchased additional school supplies at Dollar General and Staples. Lennon and her team of volunteers had nothing but praise for the Thrivent Action Team, whose motto is “Every day, life presents opportunities to help someone in need. Dare to be generous.”
Students and parents chose items gratefully on giveaway day and according to volunteers, school items that were not chosen would be donated to Family Promise or Sussex Help Center, two local organizations that offer assistance.
“With state aid education cuts, it’s imperative that children go back to school with the tools they need,” said Lennon.
The tiny but powerfully active and generous congregation of Good Shepherd Church is looking forward to their upcoming activities, namely, their Free Christmas Giveaway on Dec. 2, again reiterating the parish’s idea of Living Generously. The Christmas Giveaway was originally organized after Hurricane Sandy to help area families.