The return to the classroom may seem far off for many Eureka children enjoying their summer, but local churches are already preparing for the upcoming school year with supply drives.
Renee Smola, who organizes The River at Eureka’s annual backpack drive, said the need to provide children with school supplies has grown in recent years.
Smola, 50, of Wildwood is taking applications from families in need for the drive. Volunteers will distribute backpacks with supplies in August.
“I started the backpack drive probably 10 years ago,” Smola said. “It gets bigger each year, but there are people who we are not reaching through the church community. I’m sure there are people out there who need the assistance that I haven’t had the ability to reach.”
Smola said about 15 area churches and charitable organizations help The River purchase supplies and fill backpacks. Families of any child attending school can apply for supplies, Smola said. Volunteers at the drive are in contact with schools in Eureka, Pacific, Ellisville, Wildwood and rural Jefferson County to donate supplies, she said.
The backpack drive assists an average of 100 children per year, but Smola said she would like to help more.
“We have the Eureka Food Pantry here at The River at Eureka, so through that ministry, we learned of a lot of need for school-aged children, families trying to get them prepared for everything they need to start school,” said the Rev. Tim Schulte, The River’s pastor. “It can be a big challenge, so this is one way that, as a church, we have found we can help families.”
According to a 2023 National Retail Federation report, families with children in elementary school through high school expect to spend an average of $890 on back-to-school items, including electronics, clothes and classroom supplies.
“If you’re in a family with children, with circumstances in life that make things become very tight for a variety of reasons, trying to come up with several hundred dollars’ worth of school supplies to begin the school year can be daunting,” Schulte said. “We’re just overjoyed to be able to walk alongside families and hope to ensure that their sons or daughters have what they need.”
The Rev. Laurie Anzilotti of St. Francis Episcopal Church in Eureka said her congregation champions missions involving education and hunger. This year the church began partnering with the Meramec Valley R-3 School District to provide specific supplies needed for students.
“We’ve been working with the assistant superintendent, Dr. Ketina Armstrong, to identify what their needs are,” Anzilotti said. “They specifically asked us to provide backpacks. They gave us a certain amount of backpacks to raise, so we are trying to get 150 backpacks from our congregation.”
The River’s Backpack Drive
Request forms for school supplies are available at the Eureka Food Pantry, located in The River, 215 N. Central Ave. The applications must be turned in by July 21. Supplies will be distributed to families the week of Aug. 4, Smola said.
She said she takes the information from the forms and makes paper tags in the shape of apples, which are placed on a tree at the church. Church members may take a tag, purchase the supplies and return the tag and supplies to Smola for distribution.
“You’ll have some people who just say, ‘Here’s a couple hundred dollars, just buy what is needed,’” Smola said. “I will usually grab the (tags for high school students) off the tree because sometimes those are the hardest backpacks to fill. At high school, they’re not going to want some Care Bear or Spider-Man backpack.”
Smola said at the elementary school level, the most in-demand supplies include crayons, markers, tissues, cleaning wipes, highlighters and red, blue and black pens. High school students need loose-leaf paper in binders, dividers and calculators. She said those who want to donate supplies may drop them off at The River before Aug. 4.
“My husband (Andy Smola) is a pastor there, and his office is not his office during the drive,” she said. “I take it over to stockpile a bunch of supplies. This (drive) really is my baby.”
For more information about The River’s backpack drive, call the church at 636-938-6377.
St. Francis’ Backpack Drive
Anzilotti said backpacks may be dropped off or ordered online and sent to the church, 602 Rockwood Arbor Drive, Eureka, MO, 63025. She said the backpacks will be used during a district back-to-school bash, where students will “shop” for supplies and fill backpacks.
“We’re working closely with the school district to give them exactly what they need,” Anzilotti said. “With our principles of service and justice, it’s not just about handing something out, it’s about being in relationship and knowing the needs of the people we’re in relationship with.”
Anzilotti said her church also has a partnership with its next-door neighbor, Eureka Elementary School. Church members provide snacks for students who don’t have them during the school year.
“The school lets us know when they’re out (of snacks) and we work on restocking it,” Anzilotti said. “They know their students better than we ever could, so we work with them to provide what it is that’s most essential.”
For more information about St. Francis’ backpack drive, call 636-938-3733.
Anzilotti said her church relies on collaboration with community members to ensure its service projects are a success.
“We are really interested in working together to do good work,” Anzilotti said. “If you want to worship with us, we would love that, and if that’s not where you are on your journey of faith, we can still work together to do good things for our community.”