A Drive to Succeed

July 2, 2015

3:22 PM

A Drive to Succeed

School supply drive assists kids in need

For many children, going back to school brings more challenges than just getting used to waking up early or trying to remember math they learned last year.

Some families struggle to afford the school supplies needed each year. Those are the families the PRIDE Committee of OhioHealth Westerville Medical Campus seeks to help.

The PRIDE Committee is a collaborative effort among all campus departments. Committee members include OhioHealth associates and community volunteers. Their focus is on the spirit of learning, pride, networking service and giving back to the greater community. One of the ways they work toward this goal is by holding a school supply drive each summer for children in need.

Janet Scott, director of Westerville Medical Campus, says starting the supply drive seemed like “a natural thing to do.”

The drive began six years ago, when the campus opened. The committee had a partnership with Westerville City Schools, and the district’s enrollment center was located on its campus.

Thanks to individuals who donated a variety of school supplies, the committee was able to distribute much-needed items to students. Students qualifying for free or reduced price lunches were identified as recipients.

The drive has grown and changed over time. Since the application system for free and reduced lunches is now submitted online instead of in person, PRIDE has formed a new partnership with the Kids Lunch Club to distribute supplies.

The Kids Lunch Club, sponsored by the Westerville Area Resource Ministry, provides free lunches and fun activities for children over the summer. This year, donations – particularly backpacks – will be collected throughout the summer and given to students at the Kids Lunch Club in August.

The PRIDE Committee hopes to continue the drive and its partnership with WARM for years to come. Last year’s drive helped three Westerville schools, at which 74 percent of students qualified for free and reduced lunches.

“It’s really eye-opening to see that there is this need within our community,” says Melody Brown, volunteer coordinator at Westerville Medical Campus.

With such a great need comes an even greater amount of appreciation. Karen Gabay, an administrative assistant at Westerville City Schools, recalls some of the most inspiring moments of the drive.

One young man, she says, came in wearing a pair of men’s shoes that were just barely held together with duct tape. In addition to school supplies, they were able to give him a better pair of shoes.

Gabay also tells the story of a little girl who was one of eight children in her family and could not believe she was getting her own backpack and supplies to bring to her first day of kindergarten.

“She went skipping down the hall with her new bag,” Gabay says. “As she got halfway down the hall, she turned around and ran back to give everyone in the enrollment center a hug.”

Anyone interested in donating can visit www.warmwesterville.org.

Christina Szuch is a contributing writer. Feedback welcome at gbishop@cityscenemediagroup.com.