The back to school program at Greer Community Ministries has nearly doubled in scope over the past three years.
This August, donors provided enough school supplies and backpacks worth $50 each to help 608 students in the greater Greer area. Of those, 400 received new shoes through a Soles 4 Souls grant and shoe vouchers in partnership with Shoe Show in Greer.
“We are so grateful to our volunteers and generous donors,” said Maureen Bryan, GCM food and clothing services coordinator.
Churches, individuals, and local businesses all contributed to the program. The Greer Citizens Police Academy Alumni Association hosted a Stuff A Cruiser school supply fundraiser at Walmart of Greer to support the program. It generated three police vehicles full of supplies and a large monetary donation.
With the influx of children needing school supplies, more families visited the ministry in the month of August and requested food and clothing as well. A food order is about $42 worth of food for families of three to four people, enough to last three days. Larger families receive extra food orders as needed. All food and clothing items, given free of charge, are donated from the community.
“Over 500 people received clothing and we provided 200 food orders in August,” Bryan said.
Bryan also said she is thankful for her “A Team,” group of volunteers that spent three plus weeks packing and distributing the supplies. They are: Pam Bruce, Bridgett Hall, Pat Falconer, Valerie Gregory, the Fairview Hope Week team, and Miriam, Alondra, and Consuela Garcia.
GCM is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that feeds and clothes people in the greater Greer area through four programs: Meals on Wheels, Senior Dining, a food pantry, and a clothing closet. Find more ways to support this local ministry at gcminc.org.
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