Epworth Children & Family Services Holds School Supply Drive

Epworth Children & Family Services recently hosted its 10th annual school supply drive where it distributed more than 400 backpacks filled with collected back-to-school supplies. The backpacks were donated to the organization’s own youth participants for them to use in the upcoming school year.

More than 50 individuals, church groups and companies donated school supplies including Bank of America, Foster & Adoptive Care Coalition, and Webster Hills United Methodist Church. Volunteer groups who assembled the backpacks included Abstrakt Marketing Group and Gateway Central Region United Methodist Women. In addition to the backpacks, the Friends of Epworth and Living Word United Methodist Church Men’s Ministry donated supplies for Epworth’s Residential and Intensive Treatment program, which offers 24/7 therapeutic treatment for youth ages 11 to 18.

“Our annual school supply collection is just one of the many ways we help our agency’s youth and families,” said Epworth’s President and CEO Dr. Michael Panicola. “Back-to-school supplies are an expense that many cannot afford so this is a great way of making a difference by giving back to our very own community.” Dr. Panicola added that “this year’s response to the need was remarkable and greatly appreciated.”

Founded in 1864, Epworth Children & Family Services is a multi-service agency that helps children, youth and families move toward self-sufficiency by focusing on health, housing, education and employment. Epworth offers emergency shelter, residential and intensive treatment, in-home family therapy, transitional housing, psychological evaluation and testing, foster care services, prevention services and a 24-hour help line. The agency is headquartered at 110 N. Elm Ave. with offices in Normandy and St. Louis city.

For more information, call (314) 961-5718 or visit www.epworth.org.