The Green Hills Public Library District is hosting a School Supply Drive until August 11. Items may be donated directly at the Youth Services Desk within the library at 10331 S. Interlochen Dr., Palos Hills. (Supplied photo)

By Kelly White

School is right around the corner, and the Green Hills Public Library District would like to make school supply shopping a little bit easier for community members in need.

Until Friday, August 11, the library is hosting a School Supply Drive. Items may be donated directly at the Youth Services Desk within the library at 10331 S. Interlochen Dr., Palos Hills.

“I really like the idea of helping students get ready for school, and I think that giving them the supplies they need to start off well can only help them succeed further on in the year,” Kris Sumner, Youth Programming Librarian at the Green Hills Public Library District, said. “The School Supply Drive is meant to be an opportunity for the library and our community to support our students as they head back to school.  Not every child necessarily has access to the supplies they need to start off school on the right foot.  This is our attempt to provide those needed supplies.”

Items being collected all the traditional school supplies, things you would usually find on a school supply list: backpacks, folders, paper, notebooks, pens, pencils, markers, crayons, colored pencils, glue sticks, pens, erasers, pencil cases, etc.

This is the first year that the library has held the School Supply Drive program, however, staff members are hoping to continue it each year going forward.

“This is an opportunity for our library to help the youngest members of our community get their school year started off right,” Sumner said. “We recognize that many families do not have the same access to supplies, and through this drive, we can help with that.”

Once the drive is complete, staff members will be collecting the supplies into as many bundles as possible to give out during the week of August 14. Patrons will then just need to stop by the Youth Services Desk to obtain a bundle. There is no application process in order to receive a bundle of supplies.