LYNN — Many families who continue to pick up food from the Salvation Army are in “survival mode,” which is why the organization is expecting a large need for school supplies as well — even if they will be learning remotely.
Lynn’s Salvation Army has been in the spotlight for its food distribution efforts during the pandemic, but organizer, Capt. Helen Johnson, said families may not be aware that the organization has held a back-to-school drive for the past several years.
“The sense we get at the Salvation Army daily is this is just survival mode,” said Johnson. “I think a lot of families aren’t even thinking about school supplies because their main need is food. I expect we will get a lot of interest when families learn this is available.”
Johnson said school supplies have been collected for the past three years as part of a partnership between the Salvation Army and Walmart. The organization is seeking to collect crayons, pencils, notebooks, hygiene products, and, to prepare for the possibility of students eventually returning to in-person instruction, backpacks.
Usually, a Salvation Army representative would be in Walmart for a day collecting school supplies, which would make up the bulk of the annual donations, but plans had to be shifted this year because of the pandemic, Johnson said.
Instead, a donation bin was set up in Walmart during one weekend this month, but the change was not a beneficial one because fewer donations were received, Johnson said.
“This year has been a lot harder,” she said.
Johnson is hoping donations pick up during the final week leading up to the Aug. 28 drive, as she anticipates there will be more than 500 families seeking school supplies from the Salvation Army this year.
Johnson’s projection is based on the approximately 500 families who pick up food each day from the Salvation Army’s food pantry.
The organization’s food donation effort “just doesn’t stop,” she said, explaining that hard-hit Lynn makes up the bulk of the organization’s statewide distribution.
Since March, Johnson said Salvation Armies across Massachusetts have donated 10 million meals. As of last month, Lynn’s location had already donated more than 1.5 million.
“(We’re also) getting a lot of calls for electric and rent,” she said. “It’s just a really hard time for families that are struggling.”
All Salvation Armies in Massachusetts are doing some type of back-to-school drive, said Johnson, noting that 2,500 backpacks were recently given out in Boston.
Although Lynn is relatively close to Boston, many Lynn families were not able to benefit from the giveaway, as they could not make the trip, she said.
“We kind of fall through the cracks,” said Johnson. “We want to make sure families here get access to the things that will help them too.”
School supplies will be accepted through Aug. 27 at both of Lynn’s Salem Five locations, Nightshade Noodle Bar on Exchange Street, and the Salvation Army at 1 Franklin Street.
The back-to-school drive will be at the Salvation Army on Aug. 28 from 1-3 p.m., or while supplies last. To qualify, people have to live in Lynn and provide proof that they have children.
For more information, contact Capt. Helen Johnson at [email protected].
