On Sunday evening, July 30, over twenty people from various Lutheran Congregations in Newberry County gathered at Redeemer Lutheran Church to assemble school supplies kit for the three high schools in the county: Mid-Carolina, Newberry and the Whitmire Community School. Students at elementary schools and middle schools receive school supplies from the district using the federal grants under Title II.
Several pastors, meeting together for coffee regularly, decided to invite their fellow Lutherans to collect supplies for these students. Each church was asked to provide 1 item, some were asked to supply loose leaf paper, others to supply notebooks or index cards. Colony Lutheran Church just off C R Koon highway collected colored pencils. Redeemer Lutheran in Newberry, Grace Lutheran in Prosperity and St. Matthew’s Lutheran in Pomaria collected three ring binders. While other churches like Summer Memorial Lutheran Church in Newberry collected thousands of pens and pencils.
Flyers were also put up at Genesis Hub and some items were collected from patrons there.
The goal was to make at least 100 kits but on Sunday night, they surpassed their goal and were able to make 150 kits to split between the three schools. Leftover school supplies were brought to the Wolf Pantry at Newberry College for students there.
“We are better when we work together,” one pastor remarked. The kits were blessed before being loaded into cars to be delivered.
Thanks to all the churches who participated: Grace and Macedonia Lutheran churches in Prosperity; Redeemer, Summer, Bethany, and Colony, all of Newberry. St. Matthew’s and St. John’s Lutheran Churches in Pomaria, Mt. Tabor Lutheran Church in Little Mountain and Silverstreet Lutheran Churches.
These ten churches are part of the South Carolina Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.
