Drive collecting school supplies for local children

The Marysville School Supply Drive began in July and will continue through Aug. 9 at various locations around the city.

“It’s going really good,” said Jenny Roodzant, social service coordinator at the Salvation Army’s recently opened Marysville Service Center.

“The library has already called us to say that their barrels are overflowing,” she said.

Drop off locations include Marysville’s Parks, Culture and Recreation office, the Marysville Community Food Bank, the Marysville School District Service Center, the Marysville Tulalip Chamber of Commerce, Tulalip Tribes Youth Services, the Marysville Library, Marysville’s HomeStreet Bank, Heritage Bank, ProAction Physical Therapy or any Marysville Fire District station.

There will also be a ‘Stuff the Bus’ day in August, said Roodzant.

“On Aug. 3 the Salvation Army has a deal with Walmart, nationwide, to do a Stuff the Bus event so we’ll be at the Tulalip Walmart that day,” she said.

A general school supply list can be found at bit.ly/msdsupplies.

“We’re good on backpacks,” said Roodzant.

“We’re always low on pencils, crayons, just the basics like paper. We need a lot of the small items, but we’re just starting,” she said.

The event is a partnership between the Salvation Army, the Marysville Community Food Bank, the city of Marysville, the Tulalip Tribes, the Marysville School District, the Marysville Fire District and the Marysville Tulalip Chamber of Commerce.

Roodzant said the hope is to support struggling families with the school supply drive.

“We joined forces with [assistant director] Tara Mizell at Marysville Parks and Recreation and they we're doing it before us just because there was such a huge need here in Marysville,” she said.

“We have some clients that are living in their vehicles with their kids and they can’t afford anything and we want to help them however we can,” she said.

So far this year’s drive is going smoothly, she said.

“We have a system down now to do it,” she said. “Last year we did 600 children and this year we may have more.”

The supplies go to local families in need, with kids from kindergarten through high school receiving supplies.

“The school counselors gave out letters to all the low-income families that use free or reduced lunch,” that allow families to apply for the supplies, said Roodzant.

Families in need that didn’t receive a letter can pick up an application from their child’s school or at locations around the city including the Marysville School District Service Center, the Salvation Army, the Marysville Community Food Bank, the city of Marysville Parks, Culture and Recreation office or Tulalip Tribes Youth Services.

The supplies are scheduled to be distributed by appointment on Aug. 22 and 23.