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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
The Pottstown Cluster of Religious Communities launches Pottstown Backpack Week, providing free backpacks and school supplies to students in preparation for the 2024 school year
POTTSTOWN, PA, July 31, 2024 – The Pottstown Cluster of Religious Communities has initiated Pottstown Backpack Week, providing 500 free backpacks and school supplies to students in preparation for the upcoming academic year. The event is set to start the week of August 5, 2024, with 500 backpacks filled with school supply essentials to be distributed to students at five different community locations around Pottstown.
“Families accessing our food and housing services, whether that be through our community food pantry, Community Meal program, or housing support services, come from a variety of crises. For almost everyone, purchasing school supplies every year is very challenging. The purpose of Pottstown Backpack Week is to unite the community to alleviate financial burdens for under-resourced families and collectively empower Pottstown area students to achieve academic success,” said Jacqui Good, Pottstown Cluster’s Executive Director. “We are thrilled to be able to collaborate with other nonprofits to serve more people in Pottstown and make these resources more accessible to our neighbors.”
Pottstown Backpack Week is being brought to the Pottstown community by the Pottstown Cluster of Religious Communities through a partnership with Cradles to Crayons. The distribution dates and locations are Monday, 8/5 at Bethel Community Church of Pottstown; Tuesday, 8/6 at The Ricketts Center; Wednesday, 8/7 at the Pottstown Cluster; Thursday, 8/8 at the YMCA/724 N. Adams; and Friday, 8/9 at Community Health and Dental/Coventry Mall. The current schedule can be found at Pottstowncluster.org/Pottstownbackpackweek and facebook.com/pcrcoutreach.
About the Pottstown Cluster of Religious Communities: The Pottstown Cluster of Religious Communities was founded in 1967 by a coalition of churches wanting to address hunger and now operates as an independent secular nonprofit. Today, the Pottstown Cluster provides food security, housing stability, and supportive services to address basic needs and improve the overall stability of persons within and beyond the greater Pottstown area. In 2023, the Pottstown Cluster served 7,045 households from their food pantry, provided food to Community Meal locations which served 12,258 individuals, and reviewed 4,010 requests for help to prevent eviction. The housing team has worked with over 400 landlords to establish stable tenants, making the Pottstown Cluster an important link in the long-term success of affordable housing property owners. The Pottstown Cluster is the only food redistribution organization (RDO) in Montgomery County, distributing more than 570,000 pounds of food to more than 2,800 households annually. For more information, visit pottstowncluster.org. For more information or to give now, call 610.970.5995, or visit pottstowncluster.org.
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The Flyer (download here)
Pottstown Backpack Week Schedule:
Bookbags are available while supplies last.
Monday, 8/5 at Bethel Community Church of Pottstown – 12:30 p.m. until supplies last.
Tuesday, 8/6 at The Ricketts Center from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Wednesday, 8/7 at the Pottstown Cluster’s Outreach Center at 57 N. Franklin Street from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Thursday, 8/8 at the YMCA/724 N. Adams Street location from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Friday, 8/9 at Community Health and Dental Office at the Coventry Mall at 351 W. Schuylkill Rd., Pottstown from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. (During the CHDC Community Health Fair)
