School supplies being collected for Jones County families

     The Jones County Family Council, Jones County Community Partnerships for Protecting Children (CPPC), and Cedar/Jones Early Childhood Iowa (ECI) are partnering for their 19^th annual “School Supply Drive.”

   From now until Friday, Aug. 5, school supplies and monetary donations to purchase additional supplies are being collected to support students throughout Jones County. School supplies will help benefit families with children in grades preschool through high school.

   Supplies can be dropped off at several area businesses throughout Jones County. Look for the supply boxes at each location:

   • Monticello – Monticello Express

   • Anamosa – Journal-Eureka and Edward Jones/Shear Inspirations

   • Wyoming – Citizens State Bank

   • Oxford Junction – Citizens State Bank

   • Olin – City Hall

   Financial donations can be mailed and checks made payable to the Jones County Family Council, P.O. Box 472, Anamosa, IA 52205.

   In 2021, Sherri Hunt, director of Cedar/Jones ECI, stated that over 140 children in Jones County received a backpack full of school supplies thanks to the generous donations.

   Supplies needed include:

   • Backpacks

   • Pencil bags/boxes

   • Colored pencils

   • Colored markers

   • Expo markers

   • Glue sticks or bottles

   • Loose leaf paper (wide ruled)

   • Highlighters

   • Spiral notebooks (wide ruled)

   • Crayons (24 packs)

   • Pencils

   Due to the current situation with the pandemic and the stressors families are facing, we are anticipating needs to be even greater than in past years. By providing needed school supplies to children and families, we are hoping to alleviate this stress and provide students with needed supplies to get learning off to a great start.

   Families need to call the Jones County Family Resource Center at 319-462-5318 to sign up for supplies. Calls will be returned at the beginning of August. Supplies will be delivered to the child’s school district. Families do not have to show financial need to qualify for school supplies.

   Questions can be directed to Hunt at 319-551-3402.