Congregations at Highland Park United Methodist Church and Park Cities Baptist Church aren't just gearing up to send their own children back to school with everything they need in August—the church families want to make sure other Dallas-area children are provided for this school year.

HPUMC has organized a School Supply Drive, going on now until August 11, and the church is asking members (and anyone else in the community) to consider donating any of the following items: backpacks, manila paper, binders, crayons, markers, pens, rulers, folders, pencil boxes, construction paper, wide-ruled notebook paper, spirals, pencils, colored pencils, erasers, pencil sharpeners, glue and pencil pouches. 

The Methodist church is partnering with The Wilkinson Center and Community Partners of Dallas to equip underprivileged children with supplies needed for a successful school year. You can also give monetary donations here. Call 214.523.2269 or email tankersleyj@hpumc.org for more information about HPUMC's School Supply Drive.

PCBC's "Back to School Blast" will be a weeklong event beginning August 12, including a backpack-stuffing party and a day of distributing 1,000 backpacks full of school supplies to Vickery and South Dallas children. If you'd like to participate in the event as a volunteer or donate, contact Jill De Haven at jcdehaven@pcbc.org or (214) 860-3916. Click here for more information. 

With HPISD students heading back to class just one month from tomorrow, on Monday, Aug. 26, you'll likely be picking up lots of school supplies (if you haven't already started). As the first day of school nears, sales on supplies ramp up, so consider grabbing some extra notebooks and pencils so your neighbors can show up on the first day with the essentials, and more importantly, the confidence that they will have a great year of learning.