Monrovia’s Foothill Unity Center Starts Drive to Collect School Supplies

A back to school event from a previous year. – Courtesy photo / Foothill Unity Center

By Susan Motander

Foothill Unity Center holds a Back to School event each year in August for its client families. Each child is given all the supplies necessary to start out the school year right. There are new clothes as well as haircuts for those who want them. To do this, the center needs a lot of help from the community. Last week, the drive to collect those supplies began.

There are donation boxes in businesses all over town; for example, there is one in Monrovia’s City Hall and another around the corner in Fire Station 101 on Lemon Avenue. There are two brightly colored boxes in the lobby of Monrovia Police Department and the lobby is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Here is a partial list of the items they need:

• Binders.
• Basic and scientific calculators.
• Colored pencils.
• Composition books, wide and college ruled.
• Crayon packs of 24.
• Erasers.
• Filler paper, college and wide ruled.
• Folders, pocket or three-pronged.
• Folders (two-pocket in packs of five).
• Glue, water soluble.
• Glue sticks.
• Highlighters.
• Markers.
• Pencil boxes or pouches.
• Pencils, standard and mechanical.
• Pencil sharpeners.
• Pens, blue or black ink.
• Post-it notes.
• Rulers, 12-inch.
• Scissors, 5-inch, blunt and pointed.
• Spiral notebook, wide and college ruled.

Perhaps the most valuable gift is a monetary donation so that the center can purchase those supplies that are not donated. Their address is 790 W. Chestnut Ave. in Monrovia, 91016.

The collection drive continues through July 15, then the sorting begins. Volunteers are also needed for that and the distribution as well. To volunteer, contact the center at (626) 358-3486.

More from Community