Waukee Food Pantry Helps More Than 65 Families with School Supply Drive

The director of the Waukee Area Christian Food Pantry is calling this year's annual school supply drive a resounding success.

In an e-mail sent this week, director Melissa Stimple thanked supporters of the school supply drive noting that more than 65 families and 148 school children in the received assistance this year.

"Waukee Area Christian Services is very grateful to the community for answering our appeal for schools supplies for the children served through the food pantry," she wrote. "Every student went home with the school supplies they needed to start the year equipped to succeed. Their excitement and broad smiles touched many hearts."

Stimple said the number of students served was 44 percent more than last year.

"Whether someone donated several pencils, brought in a backpack filled with supplies or wrote a check, we thank you all for helping children in need begin the school year with a sense of pride. Your generosity allows Waukee Area Christian Services to continue our mission of always providing compassion and generosity to all," Stimple said.

This was the fourth year the Food Pantry had conducted such a drive. In 2011, they were able to help out more than 100 students in the Waukee school district with new school supplies.

Annette Bures, a board member with the, said the need for school supplies continues to grow every year.

"The need is always there," she said. "We've been seeing more patrons this summer than in the past and each year it just continues to grow. With that, the lists and the needs grow too."