Louisa County volunteers hold school supply drive

COLUMBUS JUNCTION — The Louisa County Sheriff’s Reserve Unit — a group of community policing volunteers affiliated with the local government’s law enforcement agency — is holding a school supply drive.

Delainey Parish, a county dispatcher, member of the reserve unit and organizer of the drive, said a similar grassroots effort in the area was once common this time of year, but it failed to rematerialize after its coordinator, Shelley Singleton, died in 2021.

The reserve unit is hoping to fill that gap. It’s the volunteers’ first time attempting such an undertaking.

“We’re kind of flying by the seat of our pants, figuring out what works,” Parish said. “We’re learning as we go, it’s been interesting! Trying to find boxes, honestly, that’s been the hard part.”

The drive began July 29, and will extend through Aug. 20, according to Parish.

She said the gathered materials would be shared with L & M, Columbus Junction, Wapello and Morning Sun school districts. School Resource Officers in those areas have gathered a list of highly requested supplies from teachers, including three-ring binders, notebooks, pencils, glue, safety scissors, crayons, tissue paper, folders, erasers and markers.

“Once we get a few more things collected, we’ll reach out to them and figure out the number of supplies that are needed, and what we have,” Parish said. “The end goal is to just get as much as possible … we’ll see how we do this time, and then get better with time.”

Drop boxes for the supplies are set up at Family Dollar in Columbus Junction and Wapello, as well as at the Wapello Methodist Church, the Louisa County Sheriff’s Office, and the Columbus Junction Police Department, according to a post on the Louisa County Sheriff’s Office Facebook page.

Comments: Kalen.McCain@southeastiowaunion.com