Claremore Church Stuffs Bags With School Supplies For Children In Rogers County

Claremore First Methodist Church is helping area students start the new school year off on the right foot.

Volunteers have begun filling bags with school supplies for students from all nine school districts in Rogers County.

It is an effort the church has led for 27 years.

“People recognized there were kids that did not have school supplies," Coordinator Terry Tillery said.

The first year he said the church gave away school supplies to 200 students. Now, the number is closer to 3,000.

"It is around 20% of the school kids in Rogers County that we know need school supplies, and they have a hard time affording them,” said Tillery.

The cost of the supplies is taken care of through donations from church members and community partners.

"Every dollar that is given goes to school supplies," Tillery said. "It is not used for any other purpose."

The church gets the school supply list from each student's school and fills their bag with all the needed items. Tillery said it ensures every student is ready come that first day of school.

"We feel like it is essential," he continued saying, "You are in a new grade, have a new teacher, you come into the classroom, and if you have your bag of school supplies like everyone else in the class, you feel like you are a part of that class."

Any K-12th grade student attending a public school in Rogers County can sign up for school supplies here through August 16.

The church also needs more volunteers to help fill the school supply bags. For more information, call 918-341-4580.