The School Supplies for Students Drive is entering its final two weeks and is only about one-third of the way to its goal.

Educators at Martin County schools requested about 57,000 items for students in need. Only about 20,000 have been collected.

Now is a prime time to help, because of the Florida sales tax “holiday.” School supplies may be purchased free of sales tax through July 30.

Items needed include pens, pencils, pencil boxes, glue, binders, two-pocket folders, crayons, colored pencils, markers, scissors, rulers, erasers, notebook paper, subject notebooks, and composition books.

The sixth annual drive is organized by the Volunteer & Community Resource Center (VCRC), a program of United Way of Martin County, and relies on volunteers and donations to supply about 7,000 students countywide who are eligible for the free and reduced-price lunch program.

Volunteers will be at the fairgrounds throughout the week of July 31, sorting and boxing supplies for delivery to Martin County schools, to serve children from preschool through 12th grade.

A group of Seacoast National Bank employees will participate in a special volunteer day starting at 9 a.m. July 29 at the Martin County Fairgrounds. They will sort and box up supplies for Indiantown schools and then deliver supplies requested for students at Hope Rural School.

Collection points will be open through Aug. 5 at the following locations:

Martin County library branches (Blake, Hoke, Cummings, Morgade and Hobe Sound)

Martin Memorial Wellness Center in Palm City

All Seacoast National Bank branches:
815 Colorado Ave., Stuart
2081 SE Ocean Blvd., Stuart
11711 SE U.S. Hwy. 1, Hobe Sound
7000 SE Federal Hwy., Stuart (Mariner Square)
5755 SE U.S. Hwy. 1, Stuart (Cove Road)
3300 SE U.S. Hwy. 1, Stuart (Wedgewood Commons)
1000 NE Jensen Beach Blvd., Jensen Beach
4151 NW Federal Hwy., Jensen Beach
4392 NE Ocean Blvd., Jensen Beach (Hutchinson Island)
2601 SW High Meadow Ave., Palm City (Martin Downs)
1505 SW Capri Road, Palm City (Sandhill Cove)

WHLG Coast 101.3 FM, 1670 NW Federal Hwy., Stuart

Big Apple Pizza:
Federal Hwy. in Stuart (in Front of Home Depot)
Martin Downs Blvd.  in Palm City (near Walgreen's)
Federal Hwy. in Jensen Beach (in Publix Plaza)

Squigley’s Ice Cream on Martin Hwy., Palm City

Cash Plus, 3576 SE Federal Hwy., Stuart

Riverside Bank, 989 S Federal Hwy, Stuart

Hoffman Chocolates, downtown Stuart

Curves, East Ocean Blvd., Stuart

In addition to supplies, monetary donations are also welcome to VCRC/School Supplies, PO Box 362, Stuart, FL  34995.

For more information or to volunteer, contact Anne Lalley, project coordinator, at (772) 220-4472, ext. 232 or alalley@martinvolunteers.org.

Information about the School Supplies Drive and all VCRC projects is available at www.martinvolunteers.org.

###