School supply, food donation drive will be held Aug. 1

Local organizations will be collecting school supplies and food at the Angel of the Winds parking lot on Aug. 1 for Snohomish County families.

Donations will be collected in a drive-thru basis from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 3438 Stoluckquamish Lane, Arlington.

Snohomish County Marine Corps Toys for Tots is partnering with other area groups to collect supplies to help families that may be in need right now.

"We keep seeing the data from Snohomish County and it has one of the highest rates of unemployment in the state," said Mary Butler, area coordinator for Snohomish County Marine Corps Toys for Tots.

"So we thought 'what could we do?'" she said.

Butler hopes to help families who may be trying to get through unemployment or other struggles.

"We decided to help gather supplies for them, to take some of the pressure off of the parents for this year," she said.

She reached out to local businesses and organizations and received some help from Angel of the Winds.

"We can't do a donation drive inside because of the social distancing requirements," said Butler. "Angel of the Winds told us that they know how to do these things on a drive-thru basis," and they have a large parking lot that would work for the donation drive.

"We are looking for non-perishable food items," in addition to monetary donations, said Butler.

School supplies are for all age groups.

"These are for kids starting at age 5 and all the way through college," said Butler.

Local school districts have supply lists on their websites and Butler said the most-needed items tend to be notebooks, calculators and backpacks.

"The higher-end items are often what we usually need," she said, and they often get enough of the smaller items such as pens or pencils.

The donations will be distributed to schools and food banks across the county. "From Arlington all the way to the south of the county," said Butler.

"Last year we assisted six schools all across the county," she said. The organizers hope to target those schools most in need of supplies, which is in flux right now as districts decide their plans for fall.

"We're not sure what the level of in-class learning will be at each school," said Butler.

Some businesses are also collecting donations in-house right now and will also be supporting the drive.

"We are so grateful for everything the community does for us," said Butler. "If there are any groups that would like to volunteer we would love for them to join."

Those who wish to help can email Mary Butler at [email protected]. Butler said they will have masks and gloves available for volunteers to ensure safety.