Pantry Plus More (PPM) is holding its 7th-annual Back-to-School Bash from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 3.
The event first started in 2018 and has gone on to serve thousands of students. “What began as an event that served a couple hundred students has grown immensely,” said Amanda Bolyard, board member at Pantry Plus More and chair of the Back-to-School Bash. “We served over 1,600 students last year.”
The Pantry Plus More Back-to-School Bash will be at the Mon County Center in Morgantown. Any student attending a school in Monongalia County — from pre-school to 12th grade — can go to the Back-to-School Bash.
Among the types of items students can choose from are school supplies (notebooks, loose-leaf paper, markers, writing utensils), hygiene products (body wash, toothbrushes, toothpaste) and backpacks.
Volunteers are also needed for setup, distribution and clean-up at the bash. To sign up, go to Pantry Plus More’s Facebook page for a registration link.
Founded by Tom Bloom and Roark Sizemore, Pantry Plus More is a nonprofit organization started in response to food insecurity and hunger among students in Monongalia County. When the effort began, Pantry Plus More was primarily stocking free in-school pantries to students, which allowed them anonymous access and freedom of choice to the food options.
As the nonprofit continued to see positive results, it developed more events and programs to help students in Mon Country. Among those are the Back-to-School Bash, the Book Club, the Weekend Food Program and Mobile Food Giveaways.
“The mission of PPM is to help eliminate hunger and other obstacles that inhibit students’ ability to achieve their educational goals,” Bolyard said. “We hope to uplift students and help them remain focused on their education, instead of feeling hungry and unprepared.”
Bolyard sees the Back-to-School Bash as an important pathway for students with lower income to find success in their education. “By ensuring students have their basic needs for success, they can better focus on learning instead of focusing on feeling embarrassed for not having the same supplies as their peers,” she explained.
Overall, Bolyard hopes that the Back-to-School Bash will be a great way for students to prepare for the upcoming school year. “Our hope is the Back-to-School Bash is not only a necessary resource, but an opportunity for children to experience the joy of picking out their own backpacks and supplies that will then lead to excitement for the start of school.”
TWEET @DominionPostWV
