By By JONATHAN CLAYBORNE
Staff Writer
Volunteers turned up at 8 a.m. Saturday to fill the basement of Metropolitan AME Zion Church with bags of donated school supplies destined for needy students.
Members and friends of the church, located at 102 W. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, Washington, handed out the supplies as a crowd of 150 to 200 people started filing in at 9 a.m., said volunteer Phedora Johnson.
“We were ready to go right at 9,” Johnson added.
The supplies were sorted by grades and the needs of the students in those grades.
The stock, donated by area businesses and individuals, consisted of pens, glue, pencils, erasers, notebooks and more, according to Johnson.
Gladys Johnson organized the charity drive for the church. Johnson said she was a teacher for 36 years before retiring and going back to the classroom on a part-time basis.
“You don’t want children going to school feeling ‘less than’ before they ever get started,” she said. “All of us should be helping everyone. That’s what the Lord would want us to do anyway.”
That sentiment was echoed by the Rev. David Moore, pastor of Metropolitan.
“Especially with the (economic) downturn, a lot of people want to do for their families — they just don’t have the money,” said Moore. “It’s really important that the church try to step up and do its part.”
The church is reaching out to young people to make sure they have the tools required for school and boost their self-esteem, he related.
“We want to make sure that we speak to their needs,” Moore said. “That’s the future.”
The church also has a winter-coat drive in the works, Moore confirmed.
For more information on the church’s charitable programs, call Shelia Carraway at 362-0782.