Angels Back to School program aids local schoolchildren

By Ben Olson
Reader Staff

Since 2002, the nonprofit organization Angels Over Sandpoint has spearheaded a program that ensures local school children always have necessary school supplies. The Back to School program is a massive philanthropic effort that starts with a literal truckload of supplies delivered to various locations and displayed for local families to obtain before the school year begins. 

Angels Over Sandpoint volunteers stuff more than 1,000 backpacks with all the supplies students will need to succeed.

A family picks out backpacks at a previous Back to School giveaway. Photo by Ben Olson.

The Angels offer several different pickup dates and locations for families to obtain the supplies, including:

• Wednesday, Aug. 14, 4-7:30 p.m. at Farmin Stidwell Elementary School (1626 Spruce St., in Sandpoint);

• Thursday, Aug. 15, 9 a.m.-noon at Farmin Stidwell Elementary School; 

• Thursday, Aug. 15, 5-7 p.m. at drive-up locations in the parking lots of Clark Fork Jr./Sr. High School (502 N. Main St.), Sagle Elementary School (550 Sagle Road) and Kaniksu Community Health PR Clinic (6509 U.S. 2).

Angels co-chair Chelsey McQuoid said the annual Back to School program is a favorite for the dozens of volunteers who help make it happen.

The Angels rely on direct fundraising, grants and corporate sponsors to raise money for the program.

“Staples is our biggest community partner,” McQuoid said. “They give us significant discounts when ordering our supplies. Ryan Wells and his team are phenomenal and so helpful.”

McQuoid said the Community Assistance League and the Innovia Foundation each awarded the Angels with grants of $5,000, and Kochava gave the Angels $1,000.

“Our local mailing campaign raised a little over $17,000 last year, which is what we use to purchase supplies for this year’s event,” McQuoid said.

She also wanted to thank the Lake Pend Oreille School District for providing locations for the Angels to give away the supplies.

“It’s a really fun event to watch all those kids come in with smiles on their faces,” McQuoid told the Reader.

For more info on the Angels Over Sandpoint, visit angelsoversandpoint.org.