More than 6,000 metro Atlanta children living in group homes and shelters need new backpacks and school supplies before classes start. East Cobb residents can help fill that gap Thursday, July 23, and Friday, July 24, at a two-day donation drop-off in Roswell.
The Children's Restoration Network is accepting new backpacks and school supplies at its office at 11285 Elkins Road, Building C, Suite 4, Roswell, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. both days.
CRN co-founder Cliff Kinsey said the drive targets children who face uncertainty heading into the school year. "Children living in group homes and shelters that may face an uncertain future, need reassurance they will have ample school supplies and a new book bag, even if they aren't quite ready for a new school year!" Kinsey wrote in the organization's event listing on the East Cobb Patch calendar.
Only new items are accepted. The nonprofit encourages individuals, families, church groups, neighborhood associations, and coworkers to organize collections and deliver them during the two-day window.
A 32-year mission
Kinsey and the late Jim Cox founded CRN in 1993 after responding to a newspaper ad seeking coats and blankets for a women and children's shelter in downtown Atlanta. What started as a coat drive grew into weekly meals, painted shelter rooms, and eventually a full nonprofit, according to CRN's organizational history. The organization became a registered 501(c)(3) on Sept. 25, 1993.
CRN serves more than 6,000 children across more than 134 shelters and group homes in 21 counties each year, according to its organizational profile. Charity Navigator has awarded the nonprofit its highest rating, four out of four stars.
How to participate
- What: New backpacks and school supplies (no used items)
- When: Thursday, July 23, and Friday, July 24, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
- Where: 11285 Elkins Road, Building C, Suite 4, Roswell, GA 30076
- Contact: (770) 649-7117
Other back-to-school events July 23–25
- Cobb Tax Commissioner school supply collection: Through Friday, July 24, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at all branch locations, including the East Marietta Tag Office at the East Cobb Government Center, 4400 Lower Roswell Road, Marietta. Supplies benefit the HOPE Family Resource Center's annual Back to School Giveaway.
- Cobb Sheriff's Office Back to School Cobb Bash: Saturday, July 25, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Jim R. Miller Park, 2245 Callaway Road SW, Marietta. Free backpack giveaway, teacher supplies, food trucks, and games.
- Pope High School Band Recycling Day: Saturday, July 25, 9 a.m. at 3010 Johnson Ferry Road, Marietta.
