Bayside pastor to brave heights for backpack drive

MANATEE COUNTY — Pastor Charles Young admittedly is not fond of heights.

But that’s not stopping him from perching 60 feet in the air for five days to help underprivileged children as they head back to school.

Young, Bayside Community Church’s outreach pastor, will sit suspended in a crane at the Creekwood Chick-fil-A off State Road 70 from 6:30 a.m. to 10 p.m., Aug. 2-6, or until the church collects at least 1,000 backpacks and other school supplies.

Donations will benefit children in need at Oakridge Apartment Community, PACE Center for Girls and Oneco Elementary School.

“I’ll be just kind of sitting there, and hopefully catching people’s eyes as they drive by,” Young said. “We’ll have the Bayside trailer there (to accept donations).”

The collection, he said, is important because it will provide much-needed school supplies for children whose families cannot afford them.

Bayside has done some sort of back-to-school outreach for the last seven years, but Young said this year is unique.

“We’ve never done one on this scale,” he said. “We’re wanting to do 1,000 backpacks or even more. We hope by getting the community involved in it, we’ll be able to bless more kids.”

Donations can be dropped off at Bayside Community Church, 15800 S.R. 64 E., Bradenton, or at the State Road 70 Chick-fil-A, 5206 73rd Lane E., Bradenton.

Volunteers from Bayside will be distributing the supply-filled backpacks to families on Aug. 16.

Contact Pam Eubanks at [email protected].

Back 2 School Outreach School Supply List

Infants and toddlers
Small bag or backpack
Blanket
Pack of large crayons
Coloring book
Learning toy
Personal care items
Sippy cup

Pre-K through kindergarten
Backpack (no wheels)
Supply box for holding pencils and crayons
Blunt nose scissors
Bottles of glue
16- or 24-packs of crayons
Markers
Glue stick
Watercolor paint set
Coloring book

First through third grades
Backpack (no wheels)
Supply box for holding pencils and crayons
Blunt nose scissors
Packs of folders with center prongs
Bottled glue
No. 2 pencils
16- or 24-packs of crayons
Colored pencils
Markers
Glue stick
Three-ring binder

Fourth and fifth grades
Backpack
Pencils
Pencil sharpener and small container to hold shavings
Notebook paper
Highlighters
Crayons, colored pencils or markers
Glue stick
Ruler
Index cards
Multicolored packs of folders with center prongs
Composition notebook
Three-ring binders
Pens

Middle and high school
Backpack
Pencils
Notebook paper
Highlighters
Pens
Ruler
Index cards
Multicolored folders with prongs
Three-ring binders