Mercy General Donates Back-to-School Supplies to Low-Income Students

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Chaplain William Ferguson from Mercy General Hospital.

Today, Monday, August 17 at 10:00 a.m. vehicles at Mercy General Hospital were loaded up with special drawstring backpack gifts for an important distribution. Over an almost a three week period in July, the Mission Services Committee at the hospital organized a school supply drive benefiting local Mercy Housing communities. This means front-line care staff and employees rallied to contribute, extending their support outside of the hospital walls.

Many of the Mercy Housing families face significant financial hardships - and school supplies can be a challenge, especially now as students are about to start the year with distance learning. Mercy Housing provides a home to low-income families, seniors, individuals, and people with special needs. The drive collected hundreds of supplies from glue sticks and pencils to earbuds and headphones, which are now an essential item for virtual learning. Drawstring backpacks have been filled with the supplies collected and in total 200+ children will now be better prepared for the upcoming school year.

Breakdown of supplies collected:

747 glue sticks, 123 pencil boxes, 126 pencil pouches, 123 headphones, 126 ear buds, 249–12 packs of pencils, 123 48-packs of crayons, 126 pens, 123-12 count markers, 126-24 pack colored pencils, 246 large erasers, 126 packs of eraser caps, 123 safety scissors, 249 rulers, 249 pencil sharpeners, 126 calculators, 123 clip boards, and 249 books