School suppliesMetro Creative

DeWanna’s Community Closet, a local nonprofit that provides new school uniforms and accessories to children in need, will host a school supply drive beginning Monday, April 30.

The drive aims to provide school supplies to local classrooms before supply lists are sent home for the summer. The goal is twofold: shorten the list of items that parents have to buy and ease stress levels for teachers because they will know certain items will definitely be provided for the next school year.

Comprehensive lists with corresponding prices for all schools within the Calcasieu Parish school system will be provided, and funds can be donated to any grade level at any school.

DeWanna Tarver, group founder, said that giving people the opportunity to donate to any school is important because often people forget there are families in need across the parish.

She hopes the initiative will make preparing for the next school year “not so overwhelming” for families when they notice their supply list has been shortened significantly.

Some community Partners in Education have already gotten involved with the initiative, providing sets of essential items like pencils and crayons.

DeWanna’s Community Closet is supported by donations. And unlike some nonprofit groups, Tarver said, donated funds aren’t split between administrative costs and philanthropic work.

“Every dollar handed to us, 100 percent, goes into a classroom or towards a student’s need,” she said.

People are invited to donate within the next four weeks. To make a donation visit www.dewannascloset.com or www.facebook.com/DeWannasCloset.