The 2024-2025 school year is starting soon and we have compiled a list of events for families to celebrate and receive free school supplies. For community members who would like to help out, check out a couple of drives for local children and families. If you know of more events, please post them in the comments section below.

• Community Block Party at 55th and Pine

5500 Pine St.

Friday, Aug. 23, 11 a.m-3 p.m.

The community block party at 55th and Pine, hosted by the 18th Police District, will feature vendors, food and sweet treats, a bounce house, games, free school supplies, and more!

• West Philly Unity in the Community Block Party

Market Street between 60th and 61st Streets

Friday, Aug. 23, 11 a.m-4 p.m.

Horizon House, a nonprofit serving those with mental and/or developmental disabilities across the Philadelphia region for over 70 years, is teaming up with fellow nonprofits and businesses headquartered in West Philadelphia for the West Philly Unity in the Community Block Party. This daylong event will provide numerous resources for families and individuals who call the local West Philly area home. There will be food, music and a backpack and art supply giveaway for all children in the area.

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City Councilmember, Jamie Gauthier’s office is hosting its first 3rd District Back-to-School Drive for local families. Donations of backpacks and school supplies can be dropped off through August 25th at the 3rd District Office located at 606 S. 52nd Street, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays.

Families with school-age children are asked to register if they want to receive school supplies. Please click here to fill out an online registration form. Additional info is below.

Global Citizen, in partnership with Interstate General Media (publishers of the Philadelphia Inquirer, Daily News and Philly.com), Uber & 900AM-WURD yesterday launched a citywide school supplies drive to benefit some of the most underserved Philadelphia public schools. The only drop-off location for donations in West Philly is HipCityVeg at 214 S. 40th Street.

The following items are accepted through Sept. 7: No. 2 pencils, ballpoint pens, copy paper, calculators, dry erasers, crayons, rulers, hand sanitizers, and more (check out the flier below for the full list of accepted donations). You can drop off your donation at HipCityVeg every day from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.

West Philadelphia’s People’s Emergency Center is holding a school supply drive for current and new children who come to PEC throughout the school year. The following donations are accepted: school uniforms, children’s shoes and other clothing, school supplies, gift cards or monetary contributions. All donations are needed by September 5, 2013, delivered to 3902 Spring Garden Street. See the flyer below for more details.

For any additional information, please contact Meredith Pollock at: mpollock@pec-cares.org or 267-777-5829.

We recently published information about two school supply drives in West Philadelphia to help local families in need get ready for the new school year. Here’s information on two other back-to-school drives and fundraising efforts happening in the area.

The Nehemiah Davis Foundation (NDF), is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that works hard to serve our city through efforts such as the Back-to-school Book Bag Giveaway, annual Thanksgiving dinners for veterans, seniors and homeless, an annual Christmas toy drive for youth, and more. On Sept. 1, 2013, NDF will be holding its Fifth Annual “Back-to-School Book Bag Giveaway” at Malcolm X Park (51st and Pine). Community volunteers will help to distribute donated book bags filled with schools supplies and clothing to over 300 local children.

During the event, NDF will also provide entertainment, free food and haircuts for all of the families who attend (see flyer for more information).

NDF would appreciate donations of school supplies, book bags, or clothes for the giveaway. Book bags are especially wanted so if you can donate one it would be greatly appreciated. Donations can be dropped off at Myra Herbal Wellness, 666 N. 52nd Street, Philadelphia, PA 19131. Monetary donations are also accepted at: www.gofundme/neodaviso.

Families Forward, a local organization that assists homeless families and runs 75 transitional and permanent family residential units in West Philadelphia, is working hard on preparing their children for school as the school bells ring in 2013-2014. In the past, the School District of Philadelphia provided school uniforms vouchers to homeless children and children in transitional housing, but this year they have cut that funding dramatically, according to Families Forward’s Director of Fund Development Grace Hightower. Children K-8 will only receive $20 (previously it was $50) and students 9-12 will only receive $30 (previously it was $75).

Gifts of $50 can help Families Forward purchase two uniform pants, two shirts and a pair of shoes to help a child have a great start to the school year. Gift cards to Forman Mills are also a great way to help with purchasing school uniforms.

Typically, used items are accepted at Families Forward, but this is not the case with back to school. Donors are asked to collect NEW:

• Backpacks (youth and teen)
• Black and white composition books (MEAD)
• Plastic scissors
• Crayons (basic colors)
• Markers (erasable)
• Glue sticks
• Pencils and pencil cases
• Ink pens (Blue or Black)
• Highlighters
• Rulers
• 3 Ring Binders and dividers
• Loose leaf paper
• Folders (with side pockets)
• Index Cards/poster board
• Flash Drives
• Calculators
• Dictionary and Thesaurus
• Tissues/Hand sanitizer

If you would like to organize a drive or have any questions please contact Grace Hightower by phone at 215-240-4828 or email at: ghightower@taphilly.org. Donations can be delivered until August 30, 2013 to 111 N. 49th Street; Philadelphia, PA 19139. Gifts can also be made at www.familiesforwardphilly.org.

The new school year is scheduled to start in a month, Sept. 9 (fingers crossed that the budget crisis is resolved soon) and there are some efforts in the area to help many local families get ready. So far we’ve heard of two school supply drives to help West Philly families with school children. If you know of more school supply collections/drives, please drop us an email (editor@westphillylocal.com) or leave a comment below.

ACHIEVEability’s Backpack and Book Donation Drive

Photo courtesy ACHIEVEability.

You can help ACHIEVEability to support more than 250 school-age youth and community residents by donating to their Backpack and Book Donation Drive. If donating a backpack please consider including the following school supplies: spiral bound notebooks, loose leaf paper, composition books, pens, pencils, markers, highlighters, calculators, pencil sharpeners, glue, etc. If donating a new or gently used book, please ensure that it is appropriate reading material for school age children (K-12).

Donations for the backpack and book donation drive can be delivered to ACHIEVEability’s administrative office located at 35 N. 60th Street (between Market and Arch Streets). If you have questions, please contact ACHIEVEability Events Manager Brian Hoskins at brian.hoskins@achieveability.org or 215-748-8814.

Penn School Supply Drive

Through Friday, Aug. 16, multiple locations across the University of Pennsylvania campus will serve as drop-off points for the Penn Volunteers in Public Service’s annual back-to-school drive.

The school supply drive collects basic back-to-school items such as binders, dividers, dictionaries, staplers, glue, tape, calculators, crayons, pencils, pens, paper, rulers, notebooks, book covers, markers, folders, lunch boxes or bags, school bags or backpacks, umbrellas and blank CDs or DVDs. The preference is for new items, but they would also accept “gently used” items like book bags (they have to be in really good condition).

The supplies will be distributed to nearby schools, after-school programs and other organizations in West Philadelphia. One of the schools in West Philadelphia that will receive a portion of the collection is the Henry C. Lea Elementary School.

There are a lot of drop-off locations, so please check out this link for more information.