Local partners provide MohonCARES supplies, clothes, money to start school year

Members of Life.Church in Albany made several trips into Bradt Primary School Monday carrying bags and bags of supplies, clothing and food to support the district’s MohonCARES mission.

And then to top off the thousands of dollars in physical donations, they handed Superintendent Shannon Shine a check for $15,000.

“Almost half of our students live in poverty,” Superintendent of Schools Shannon Shine said. “Because of this, we must first meet the food, clothing and supply needs of our students. Community partnerships, such as with Life.Church, make this possible.  Once students’ basic needs are met, we are then well-positioned to educate and prepare our students for the future.”

View photos on Facebook here.

MohonCARES (Connecting Area Resources to Empower Students) represents the different ways the district supports students in need by providing clothing, food and supplies for free. The goal is to meet the needs of every student while they attend Mohonasen.

Over the past weekend, Life.Church brought a group of teachers from Mohonasen and a neighboring school district on a shopping spree. Four teachers from Pinewood attended and were given $300 each to purchase supplies. The teachers — Josh Hughes, Lauren Neale, Michelle Tracy-Evans and Jessica Filareki — bought clothes for Mohonasen High School, a freezer for Pinewood, and other supplies. Then, they chipped away at the district’s Wish List, supplying about $3,800 in food, clothing, school supplies and personal hygiene products for students at all levels.

“I shopped for food for our Anchor Room and filled five carts!” Mrs. Tracy-Evans said. “It was an absolutely beautiful and humbling experience. A complete stranger saw what we were doing and purchased socks for the High School Anchor Room as a donation. The outpouring of support from the church and community was overwhelming. We were all truly blessed to be a part of it!”

MohonCARES has also recently benefited from a drive organized by the Messiah Lutheran Church in Rotterdam. At the end of August, the church asked its members to donate undergarments for students in need — one of the most-needed items districtwide.

Boxes of socks, bras and underwear were distributed to Pinewood, Draper and the High School.

If you would like to further support MohonCARES, you may donate through our online portal at www.fundabilities.com/MohonCARES. If you would like to arrange an in-person donation, please contact Jim Smith at jasmith@mohonasen.org or at 518.356.8250. You may also contact him with any questions about the program.