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The Dragons Closet expects record demand for help with school supplies this year, but there may not be enough to distribute.
Organizer Rachel Eastman said The Dragons Closet served more than 200 Gretna youth last year in kindergarten through 12th grade. This is the fourth year that the organization has conducted a back-to-school drive.
“This year, we are anticipating an even higher need based on budgets becoming even more stretched,” Eastman said. “However, like most donation-based programs, we are at an all-time low with items available. People just don’t have the ability to donate like they have in the past.”
This year’s school supply giveaway is scheduled for Saturday, Aug. 6, and Eastman is asking the Gretna community to step up in advance of that event to contribute supplies so The Dragons Closet doesn’t have to turn anyone away.
“To donate, people can purchase items from our wish list at their favorite retailer and drop off donations at the American Legion or at 317 Paradise Drive,” Eastman said, adding that her porch is checked several times a day, so notifying her that a donation has been left isn’t necessary.
Items can also be purchased directly through an Amazon wish list, which will ship directly to The Dragons Closet for distribution. Find that list at tinyurl.com/dragonsclosetwishlist.
Donations are due by Friday, Aug. 5, although earlier donations would be appreciated to allow time for processing.
For more information, find The Dragons Closet Gretna NE group on Facebook or email TheDragonsClosetGretna@gmail.com.
Items most sought include unscented baby wipes, Lysol or Clorox wipes, Kleenex, Fiskar scissors, hand sanitizer (8 ounce pump size), Expo erasers, Expo markers, Ziploc baggies (snack, sandwich and quart size), college-ruled spiral notebooks, college-ruled loose-leaf paper, wide-ruled loose-leaf paper, pencil boxes, backpacks (new or gently used), calculators (regular and scientific), Elmer’s glue sticks, wooden rulers, Crayola 24-count crayons, Crayola 10-count broadline markers, Crayola 10-count thinline markers, Crayola 12-count colored pencils, zippered three-ring hole pencil bags, individual pencil sharpeners, pink erasers, clear front three-ring binders (half-inch, 1-inch, 1 1/2-inch, 2-inch and 3-inch), black ink pens, blue ink pens, red ink pens, 12-count boxes Ticonderoga pencils, 4-ounce Elmer’s glue bottles, index cards (lined and unlined), spiral-bound notebooks (college and wide ruled), loose-leaf paper (college and wide ruled), Post-it notes, paper folders, three-prong vinyl folders, vinyl folders with no prong, and composition notebooks (college ruled and wide ruled).
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