Newton Neighbors seek school supplies donations, volunteers for food pantry

Backpacks and other school supplies are now being collected for students who need them in Newton.Marta Lavandier/Associated Press

Newton Neighbors is seeking donations of school supplies for the coming academic year, and volunteers to help deliver food from pantries to local families.

The school supplies drive will help support children in Newton and neighboring towns, according to a statement posted on the volunteer group’s website.

Newton Neighbors is working in collaboration with the Village Bank and the Street Chestnut Hill on the school supplies drive. The drive runs through Aug. 18.

“Our goal is to collect school supplies for 200 children. Donations will be distributed in time for the first day of school,” the statement said.

People can donate items such as new or gently used backpacks for middle and high schoolers, lunch boxes, and graphing calculators. People also can give $25 gift cards to Star Market or Target for school supplies.

Items can be purchased through the group’s Amazon wish list, or dropped off at Village Bank locations Mondays through Fridays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

A list of those bank locations is available at newtonneighbors.org/current-projects.

Anyone with questions, families who need school supplies, or those who are unable to drop off supplies are encouraged to contact Newton Neighbors at [e-mail].

The organization also is seeking volunteers to help deliver food from Newton pantries to families who are unable to access the pantries themselves.

Each volunteer delivers to approximately four families, according to Newton Neighbors. The food is transported from the Newton Food Pantry, Centre Street Food Pantry, and the American Legion Nonantum Post 440 food bank, the group said.

Volunteers can sign up online at volunteersignup.org/QHAD3.