SCOTT FRIEDMAN

Church collects school supplies, blessing planned Aug. 30

Throughout August, The Unitarian Society (TUS) is teaming up with the New Brunswick Hub Teen Center to gather school supplies and new or gently-used backpacks that will be given to local students in need.

Items needed include backpacks, binders, book covers, journals/planners, calculators, colored pencils, 1- 3- or 5-subject notebooks, dividers, erasers, folders, glue sticks, highlighters, washable markers, No. 2 pencils, pencil cases, USB memory sticks, pencil sharpeners, pens, 12-inch rulers, child safety scissors, tape, composition notebooks, blank CD-Rs or CD-RWs, dictionaries, thesauri and gift cards to help provide a “first day of school” outfit.

Leftover supplies will be given to teachers who can pass them on to students in need throughout the school year.

For more information about the collection, contact Bob Munson at 732-742-6686.

TUS will then hold a Blessing of the Backpacks from 5:15-7:15 p.m. Aug. 30 at the church, 176 Tices Lane, East Brunswick.

Students, parents or anyone looking for a fresh start in their work are encouraged to bring backpacks, briefcases and laptop bags to be blessed in honor of a new year of learning and teaching.

A pizza dinner will follow.

For more information, visit www.unitariansociety.org, e-mail [email protected], call 732-246-3113 or visit TUS on Facebook.