BANGOR, Maine — The Courageous Steps Project hosted its 11th annual Back-To-School Drive on Monday, collecting supplies to donate to four dozen schools in seven counties across Maine.
"No family should have to choose between school supplies and food, water, and shelter," Courageous Steps Project Founder and CEO Connor Archer said.
Courageous Steps is a nonprofit that helps children and adults with various abilities and challenges.
The goal of the drive, which was held at the Cole Land Transportation Museum in Bangor, is to support students in rural communities.
"To ensure that they have those school supplies so that they can have a quality education," Archer said.
Courageous Steps is expanding its Back-To-School program through a new partnership with the Galen Cole Family Foundation, which runs the Cole Land Transportation Museum.
"Kids in rural areas in Maine just have less opportunities, whether it's their parents aren't able to support them, or their schools aren't able to support them with a lack of funding," Cole Land Transportation Museum Director Jennifer Munson said. "That's where businesses like us and nonprofit partners need to be able to step up and fill those gaps."
Tara Frazier, a Courageous Steps board member, is a teacher at Veazie Community School, which has been receiving school supplies from the organization since 2016.
"The last few years have been hard on everybody, and sometimes people can't get the things their students need," Frazier said.
Frazier has seen how much of an impact Courageous Steps has had on her students over the years.
"An organization like this coming in and partnering with schools helps us to fill those gaps and to allow all kids to start at the same level and have access to the same things," Frazier said.
Courageous Steps is hoping to take its Back-To-School program statewide in the coming years.
If you would like to donate, the Cole Land Transportation Museum will be accepting school supplies through Aug. 12.
Donors will receive $5 admission to the museum.