Back-to-School Donations Requested by Local Outreach Center

RIO GRANDE – The Branches Outreach Center will celebrate and bless the beginning of another school year on Sunday, August 21 at 5PM with the Third Annual Blessing of the Backpacks and Hot Dog Festival. The Branches is the Episcopal Ministry and Outreach Center founded by St. Mary’s Church, Stone Harbor, and St. Barnabas Church, Villas.
In conjunction with this event, volunteers are collecting school supplies and backpacks for area children. Last year’s event resulted in more than 90 backpacks filled with supplies being donated to representatives from Middle Township’s Ocean Academy, Lower Township’s David C. Douglass Veterans Memorial School, and Lower Township’s Carl T. Mitnick School, Families Matter, LLC and DYFS social workers.
The Rev. Susan Cushinotto, Deacon at St. Mary’s Episcopal Church, Stone Harbor, who is one of the event’s coordinators this year says, “Last year’s event was such a success that we have already received requests for backpacks this year and anticipate needing more this year than last!” Cushinotto added, “Some of the thank you notes we received from children last year were so beautiful that we couldn’t imagine not holding the event again.”
Everyone in the community is invited to participate by donating backpacks and/or school supplies and attending the Blessing of the Backpacks and Hotdog Festival.
Items needed include new backpacks; 2-pocket portfolio folders; glue sticks; 24-count boxes of crayons; 10 or 12 count boxes of markers; erasers; 12 count boxes of colored pencils; and pencil sharpeners. Items can be dropped off at one of three locations: St. Mary’s, 9425 Third Avenue, Stone Harbor (Sunday through Friday 9AM-Noon), St. Barnabas, 13 W. Bates Avenue, Villas (Sunday 8AM-11AM and Tuesday 6 PM-7PM) or The Branches, in the Village Shoppes at the intersection of 2nd Street and Vermont Avenue, Rio Grande (Wednesday and Saturday 10 AM- noon).
For more information, contact The Rev. Susan Cushinotto, Deacon, St. Mary’s Episcopal Church, at 609-513-3038 or Beverly Larson at 609-368-4143.