Maris Grove Residents Celebrate ‘Christmas in July’

GLEN MILLS, PA— No snow? No problem for the residents at Maris Grove retirement community who hosted their forth, “Christmas in July” school supplies drive. The Resident Outreach Committee is collecting school supplies to be donated to local school and children services.

The Club set up Christmas trees, also known as “School Supplies Trees,” in each clubhouse at Maris Grove for residents to place their donated school supplies beneath.

This year, the residents donated school supplies to “Treasures 4 Teachers,” an organization dedicated to providing free and low cost supplies to teachers from the community. In the past, residents donated supplies to intercity Philadelphia schools, Saint Agnes School in West Chester and the local Head Start Program focusing on early childhood development.

The supplies donated include items such as pencils, crayons, paper, desk supplies, paints, glues and play dough. The idea to host a school supplies drive was first conveyed when members learned of teachers purchasing supplies with their own money for the classrooms.

“Unfortunately, some of our schools are unable to provide an adequate amount of school supplies for our students. This forces our teachers to make the difficult decision of spending their own money to buy supplies or to have a learning environment where students are without basic supplies,” said Gerri Eisenstein, Chair of the Resident Outreach Club.

Photo Caption: A Few members of the Resident Outreach Club, Jane Flick, Regina Collins, Eileen Ferguson, Gerri Eisenstein and Peggy Hoath pose with a portion of their donations and next to one of their “School Supplies Trees.”

About Maris Grove: Maris Grove is one of 19 continuing care retirement communities managed by Erickson Living. Located in Glen Mills, Pennsylvania, Maris Grove is home to more than 1,500 residents.

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