NAPLES — Guadalupe Center is requesting donations of school supplies through its 29th annual Back-to-School Shoes & Supplies Drive, which outfits hundreds of students with new sneakers and school supplies.

Requested items include writing utensils, paper products, art supplies, classroom supplies and student accessories. The National Retail Federation estimates the average household will spend $849 on back-to-school shopping in 2021.

“The majority of students we serve come from low-income households, and summer is an especially difficult period financially for families since so many jobs in Immokalee are seasonal,” said Dawn Montecalvo, president of Guadalupe Center. “Every child should be able to walk into class on that first day of school eager to learn and with the resources to succeed academically.”

Guadalupe Center is requesting donations of:

• Writing utensils: No. 2 pencils, erasers, pens, crayons, highlighters, small pencil sharpeners, pencil cases, washable markers and permanent markers.

• Paper products: composition writing books, spiral notebooks, folders, binders and student agenda books.

• Art supplies: blunt scissors, construction paper, glue bottles and glue sticks.

• Classroom supplies: dry erase markers, white board erasers and plastic bags.

• Student accessories: flash drives, backpacks and headphones.

Guadalupe Center serves more than 1,500 students annually through its nationally accredited Early Childhood Education Program, After-school Tutoring & Summer Enrichment Program and college-preparatory Tutor Corps Program. The nonprofit’s mission is breaking the cycle of poverty through education for the children of Immokalee.

This year, Guadalupe Center again partnered with Snyderman’s Shoes of Naples and Laces of Love to distribute new shoes to more than 300 students.

Monetary donations can be made online through a secure portal at GuadalupeCenter.org/how-to-give. New school supplies can be dropped off or mailed to Guadalupe Center at 509 Hope Circle, Immokalee, FL 34142; Guadalupe Center’s development office at 2640 Golden Gate Parkway, Suite 205, Naples, FL 34105; or Guadalupe Resale Shop, 12980 Tamiami Trail N., Suite 10, Naples, FL 34110. All donations are tax deductible.

For questions or to schedule a donation pick-up, please contact Haley Thalheimer at 239-657-7120 or HThalheimer@GuadalupeCenter.org.

About Guadalupe Center
Guadalupe Center is a purpose-driven, nonprofit organization with proven results in creating endless possibilities for the students of Immokalee through education and fostering personal and academic success that leads to economic independence. With a focus on breaking the cycle of poverty through education, Guadalupe Center is proud of the children’s accomplishments: 95% meet or exceed kindergarten readiness measures, 100% of Tutor Corps high school seniors graduate high school and are accepted into college, and more than 94% graduate with a post-secondary degree.