BOSTON — SOUTH BOSTON, Mass. – Iron Workers Local 7 is hosting a school supply drive Saturday.
The event runs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Iron Workers Local 7 Union Hall located at 195 Old Colony Ave. in South Boston.
Boston teachers and families are welcome to stop by the union hall to pick up new supplies.
“We give back because that’s what we do, they support us and we support them,” said Local 7 member Derrick Nichols. “Our slogan here at Local 7 is each one teach one. One hand washes the other, both hand washes the face, and we do it for the community because we love our community.”
According to a recent survey, teachers spend an average of $750 of their own money buying school supplies for their classroom each year.
“The initiative comes at a critical time when supplies collected at the beginning of the school year have since been depleted, yet there are still four months remaining in the school year,” the union said in a press release. “The drive will alleviate pressure from parents to purchase supplies, as well as from teachers who may have to spend their own income to provide supplies to their students.”
This is the second year in a row the group has hosted a Mid-Year School Supply Drive.
“We understand that supplies are short everywhere, so we thought we would do a charity drive,” said Nichols.
Supplies include pens, pencils, crayons, markers, notebooks, folders, binders and backpacks.