Community comes together to support PCES students

GUILFORD — Thanks to the generosity of a number of community partners, no student at Piscataquis Community Elementary School will be lacking school supplies this new academic year as dozens of backpacks and hundreds of items for the classroom have been donated.

Principal Anita Wright said resident Janet McAllister, who Wright believed organized a school supply drive through Facebook, dropped off a box containing several backpacks filled with items. “Underneath were two bins of school supplies from glue sticks to crayons to pencils,” the principal said on Sept. 7 a week and half into classes.

“Just yesterday the town of Cambridge dropped off school supplies,” Wright said. “This is just the community taking care of each other.”

“Hardwood Products also donated all sorts of school supplies,” she said. Wright said the International Order of Rainbow for Girls donated over two dozen backpacks filled with items, which were dropped off by Stephanie Marshall

“That was the first day of school, we were very blessed with just so much support,” the principal said.

The MECAW committee at Mayo Regional Hospital in Dover-Foxcroft held a back to school challenge as different hospital departments brought in filled backpacks and the group collected 40 to distribute to PCES and the Dover-Foxcroft and Milo area school systems. The committee also donated bags filled with tissues, hand sanitizer and additional classroom supplies.

“Then there are individuals who stopped by and dropped off extra supplies,” Wright said.

“That was such an outpouring of support, I think I can say no child will go without school supplies because of that support,” she said. Wright said enough backpacks and supplies were handed out to ensure every student was fully equipped and enough were left over at the start of the year to be saved for new students who will come in and/or other replace used and worn items in the ensuing months.

She said Steinke & Caruso Dental Care of Dover-Foxcroft gave a monetary donation which will go toward the purchase of books for the grade 1 classroom libraries.

Another effort to benefit PCES students collected items for students to use outside. Wright said this was organized through Facebook by Amber Moody and “we ended up with a bin of playground equipment.”

She said the bin included hula hoops, various types of play balls and more. “We are just so thankful for that support and the kids, I know that makes them very happy.”