By Kathy Chouteau
Richmond’s Bay Area Rescue Mission (BARM) is on a mission to collect back-to-school supplies through Saturday, Aug. 15, to support local children who can’t afford them.
The nonprofit’s annual “Back-to-School Collections Drive” will assist children attending school sessions remotely in the fall due to the COVID-19 pandemic. BARM is seeking donations of the following school items: Paper (binder loose-leaf); spiral notebooks; calculators; crayons; glue (Elmer’s & glue-sticks); markers & highlighters; and the Bible for children.
Community members can see BARM’s full back-to-school wish list on Amazon here. Donors can drop off school supplies at BARM’s administrative offices at 2114 Macdonald Ave. in Richmond.
The Standard will keep the community posted as more information becomes available about how the donated back-to-school supplies will be distributed to local students in a safe way. Before the pandemic, BARM held an annual Chevron Richmond-sponsored fall event at Nevin Park where more than 1,000 children received backpacks stocked with supplies.
BARM provides emergency shelter, meals, recovery programs, spiritual counseling, education, job skills training and transitional services, youth intervention, a food pantry and mobile outreach to community members in need. Learn more about the organization via its website or call 510-215-4555.
