By Carrie A. Mizell

Imagine trying to do a school assignment without having a pencil to write with.
Each school year, area teachers spend hundreds of dollars of their own money to ensure their students have the tools they need to get a good education.
For the second year in a row the Gilchrist County Journal is taking a proactive stand to help offset costs to local teachers and students by providing school supplies for the 2009-2010 school year.
According to Carrie Mizell, associate editor, the newspaper will work with the Gilchrist County School District to gather school supplies for students in need.
Beginning Friday, July 17, a collection box will be set up inside the Gilchrist County Journal office, located at 207 North Main Street in Trenton.
School supplies will be collected for students entering kindergarten through high school this fall at Trenton and Bell schools.
Local businesses and community members are asked to please donate school supplies. Pencils, pens, notebooks, glue, crayons and backpacks are just a sampling of the items being accepted.
The collection will end on Thursday, Aug. 13. All school supplies collected will be evenly distributed between Trenton Elementary School, Bell Elementary School, Trenton Middle-High School and Bell Middle-High School.
Don’t forget, school will start back for Gilchrist County students on Monday, Aug. 17.