Bailey’s Rotary Club provides school supplies for the needy

Volunteers stuff backpacks with school supplies at the Great Assembly.

By David F. Borowski

On Aug. 7, after last year’s COVID-19 hiatus, the Bailey’s Crossroads Rotary Club resumed its Great Assembly school supply project. 

With the help of 70 volunteers, including more than 35 Rotarians and their friends and family members, the club assembled 2,300 backpacks filled with school supplies for students in the Justice High School pyramid.

The Justice pyramid serves about 8,600 students at Justice High School, Glasgow Middle School, Bailey’s Elementary School, Bailey’s Upper ES, Beech Tree ES, Belvedere ES, Glen Forest ES, Parklawn ES, and Sleepy Hollow ES. 

More than 67 percent of children at those schools qualify for free or reduced-price school meals. Many of their families are struggling to make ends meet and often do not have the additional funds to purchase school supplies.

The Bailey’s Rotary Club is a major financial and resource donor to this worthwhile event donating nearly $8,000 and hundreds of volunteer hours to the Great Assembly project.

Before COVID, we distributed the school supplies to families at the annual Justice Pyramid Resource Fair. This year, club members will bring the backpacks to schools, and school staff will distribute them to families.

David F. Borowski is a member of the Bailey’s Crossroads Rotary Club.