T-R PHOTO BY MIKE DONAHEY
Dozens of Marshalltown parents and school children lined up Friday at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church gym to get free-of-charge school supplies courtesy of the House of Compassion. Here, parents and students register before checking out items ranging from backpacks to markers to notebook paper. Earlier in the day many were lined up outside, well past the church’s entrance, HoC volunteer President Ross Iverson said. Making the event possible was generosity of Central Iowans who donated supplies and cash as part of the HoCs annual “Stuff the Bus” campaign. Event coordinator Pam Strobe of Marshalltown said the estimated retail value of all was $16,186. Iverson acknowledged Strobe had done an outstanding job coordinating the challenging effort. Free clothing was also available to back-to-schoolers also in the gym courtesy of the local Latinas Unidas Nuevo Amancer office. LUNA serves domestic violence victims. Marshalltown public and St. Francis Catholic schools begin the 2019-20 school year Aug. 26.