North Hills Community Outreach launches drive to collect school supplies for needy kids

Tony LaRussa | Thursday, June 23, 2022 6:01 a.m.

Courtesy NHCO

Vicki Burstynowicz, Sharing Projects Coordinator for North Hill Community Outreach, takes inventory of the school supplies that were donated before they are distributed to clients in the Millvale area during the nonprofit organization’s 2020 campaign. The 2022 collection drive runs through Aug. 6.

Now through Aug. 6, residents in the North Hills can help a local charity fulfill its yearly mission to collect school supplies for needy children.

North Hills Community Outreach is seeking donations to help children in preschool through high school.

“With rising inflation, we expect an increase in demand for back-to-school supplies,” said Jeff Geissler, communications director for the nonprofit charitable organization. “At North Hills Community Outreach, we want to help ensure all children have the items they need for a good and productive learning experience.”

The list of items that are most needed includes:

• New backpacks

• Colored pencils

• 24-pack Crayons

• Erasers

• Glue sticks

• Highlighters and markers

• Loose-leaf paper

• Notebooks

• Binders

• Pens, pencils/mechanical pencils

• Pencil boxes and sharpeners

• Pocket folders

• Rulers

• Scissors

New or gently used Texas Instruments graphing calculators for students taking advanced high school science and math classes also are needed.

Gift cards in any amount also are needed to help families by school clothes.

Items can be donated by buying them through NHCO’s Amazon “wish list” and scheduling delivery to the organization’s offices.

Items also can be purchased at local stores and dropped off from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays at any of NHCO’s three offices.

The main office is located at 1975 Ferguson Road in Allison Park, which also accepts donations on the first Saturday of each month from 9 a.m. to noon.

NHCO also has an office in the Millvale Community Center at 416 Lincoln Ave., 2nd floor. The North Boroughs office is located in Greenstone Methodist Church, 939 California Ave. in Pittsburgh’s North Side.

During NHCO’s last fiscal year, 1,164 children received new backpacks and school supplies.