The counseling honor society, Chi Sigma Iota, decided to give back to the Wilkes-Barre School District by holding its first school supply drive from September to Oct. 28 as a September service project.

According to President of The Pi Chapter and Second Year Clinical Mental Health Graduate Tara Clifford, the idea for the event came from an interning counselor who saw children in need of school supplies.

“They [school counselors] go to the schools and they see firsthand children in need,” said Clifford.

Supplies accepted included notebooks, pens, pencils, backpacks, calculators, highlighters and folders.

Students placed donations in boxes located in the McGowan Atrium, the Learning Commons, Nazareth Dining Hall, Madonna Hall and the Liberal Arts Center.

Clifford explained the Pi Chapter partnered with Marywood’s bookstore to encourage students to help the cause.

Members of the bookstore placed signs around the store to promote the project, as well as buckets of pencils and notebooks for students to add to their purchases. Students were able to add a dollar to their total purchase as a donation to the school supply drive.

According to Clifford, the Society collected more than $300 through the bookstore before the school year began.

“There was this huge garbage can and it was full of supplies,” said Clifford.

Additionally, the bookstore asked other colleges in the area to participate in the project.

Vice President of the Pi Chapter, Amanda Gippo, a second year clinical mental health graduate student, said that the supply drive is important to her and the Wilkes-Barre School District.

“I feel children are a very big part of it,” said Gippo. “If we could make a little difference here, then it can definitely go elsewhere.”

Grippo said many schools in Wilkes-Barre had students who relied on free or reduced lunches and who were not able to afford school supplies.

“It was very apparent that these children were in need of supplies, or anything of that matter, that would help them out,” said Grippo.

Clifford said the goal of the project was to make sure students have the supplies they needed.

“We just hope we can make that little difference so no kid feels like they are being left out or left behind,” said Clifford.

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