St. Charles United Methodist Church will host its first Back to School Community Market Sunday from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at 1905 Ormond Boulevard in Destrehan.
The event, which is open to the public, will give residents a chance to donate gently used or new items and collect free supplies, including school uniforms, athletic shoes, backpacks, hygiene products, shelf-stable food and more.
Residents do not have to donate to shop the free supplies.
Shandi Anderson, director of church missions at UMC Destrehan, said the church staff is hoping the event touches the hearts of residents.
“To be able to have an event where no money is exchanged and you can grab a binder or pens or whatever you need, that’s very special,” Anderson said. “We just want to show God’s love.”
The event will also include free food and kids’ activities, including a bounce house and a book raffle.
A group of volunteers will sort donations, while residents collect supplies inside the church’s fellowship hall.
Anderson, a St. Charles Parish native, said the idea for the community market was inspired by the household swaps she participated in with her friends.
“When I became missions director, I was like, ‘Why don’t we do this for the community for back-to-school season?’” Anderson said. “The hope is that this picks up to where we can do a holiday swap and a spring swap. No money exchanged. Just bring what you don’t need or want anymore and then pick up what you do.”
Anderson said school supplies are always needed because they’re consumable.
“Everything is getting so expensive,” she said. “We’re hoping [the event] gives people what they need.”
Any leftover donations will be given to schools and other ministries, Anderson said.
Anderson said she has been a member of the church for about nine years. She led the church’s pumpkin patch event before becoming director of church missions.
“I just decided that I wanted to help other people and be the hands and feet of God,” she said. “And especially now in this day and age, I think it’s important to care for other people and open up our hearts.”
She said church members want to provide more community-based events that bring neighbors to the church campus.
“What we’re hoping is when the community sees what’s happening, that they’ll want to participate in the next swap that we do,” Anderson said. “We want this to be a St. Charles Parish thing – bringing neighbors together and donating what you don’t need and taking what you do and just hanging out.”