Approximately 475 books were collected for Hoglan Elementary School students at the April drop-off mission event Saturday. In partnership with Hoglan Elementary School, the Hope United Methodist Church’s goal is to provide every student with a book by the end of the current school year.

The idea for a monthly donation event came last year while the church was not holding in-person worship due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Yeah people couldn’t come into the church, but what if we had people drive through under our overhang and we could take donations from them and bring them into the church,” Pastor Nan Smith of Hope United Methodist Church said.

She said she couldn’t imagine not helping others feeling the impacts of the pandemic.

Contributed Photo — Hope United Methodist Church of Marshalltown where the monthly donation drop off events are held.

“This is a really stressful time and a lot of different organizations are hurting,” Smith said. “If they’re hurting then the people they serve are hurting. There’s such a tremendous need right now. This is a simple way we can be the church to the community.”

She said the church has a history of giving to many organizations, but wasn’t sure how the turnout would be for the monthly donation drives.

“We weren’t really sure how our congregation would respond to this, because we’re always asking for something every month,” Smith said. “I’ve been just so pleased by the generosity of this congregation and their willingness to give.”

At the first drop off event last December, the church collected more than 240 hats, mittens and scarfs to donate to Child Abuse Prevention Services, Mid-Iowa Community Action headstart programs and Hoglan Elementary School Students.

The success of the event pushed the church to start organizing donation events each month, with now a donation event planned for each month for the rest of the year.

The church held donation drives for Marshalltown Community College Students staying in residence halls, particularly international students, in need of towels, blankets, sheets, pillows and personal hygiene items.

For the Wesley Woods Camp and Retreat Center in Indianola, the church collected donations of items such as arts and crafts supplies, drill bits, horse brushes, swimming items and more.

The next drop off event will be May 22 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. to collect non-perishable food for the Emergency Food Box in Marshalltown.

While a day for drop-off donations is designated, anyone with donations can bring them to the Hope United Methodist Church at any time during the month the event happens. There’s still a tub at the church collecting books for the month.

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Contact Trevor Babcock at 641-753-6611 or tbabcock@timerepublican.com.