Helping Kids Start the School Year Right

Annual drive of Interfaith Ministries of Greater Queen Anne helps homeless kids get a great start to the new school year.

In its annual drive to help local underserved children start the new school year right, Interfaith Ministries of Greater Queen Anne completed its annual drive to provide backpacks and school supplies. They donated these materials to Mary’s Place, a local a nonprofit organization that helps homeless families with children get back on their feet again.

 

The Church of Scientology, St. Anne’s Catholic Church, Queen Anne United Methodist and St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, all members of Interfaith Ministries of Greater Queen Anne, were joined in the drive by Dignity Seattle and Bayview Manor. Brenthaven, the Seattle-based manufacturer of luggage and electronics cases, provided 50 top-of-the-line backpacks for the project.

 

At a luncheon hosted by the Church of Scientology, volunteers sorted the school supplies and backpacks for distribution to the children at Mary’s Place center in north Seattle. “We were happy to host this 3rd annual backpack project,” said Ann Pearce, director of public affairs for the Seattle Church. “Giving back to the community is very important to our staff and congregation and getting these kids off to a good start as the new school year begins is a real joy.”

In all, 223 backpacks with school supplies ranging from pens, pencils, paper and erasers to dictionaries, earbuds and flash drives were presented to Mary’s Place Executive Director Marty Hartman and her staff, who thanked the interfaith group for their contributions.

“It was special to see our churches and the community coming together to support Mary’s Place through this backpack and school supplies drive,” said Ellen Monrad, chair of the interfaith group. “We know that getting children off to a great start in school is so important and we were happy to contribute to Mary’s Place again this year.”

Mary’s Place is a leading voice for homeless women, children, and families in emergency situations. Their work keeps struggling families together and provides practical tools and resources that help women find housing and employment.