Bethesda and Chevy Chase residents looking to help local students gear up before the school year begins Tuesday, August 25, have at least four ways to donate supplies, money or time over the next month.

The most local option: All Saints Church in Chevy Chase will host a Drive-Thru Giving & Shredding event on Saturday, August 29, starting at 10 a.m. Residents can drop off school supplies and bring up to four boxes of documents for on-site shredding, according to a Facebook post from the church.

The Housing Opportunities Commission of Montgomery County is also collecting backpacks, school supplies and $50 gift cards for shoes to equip 175 children living in supportive housing, MyMCMedia reported Thursday, July 30. HOC, which serves more than 20,000 county residents and owns over 9,400 rental units, holds an annual Back-to-School Bash for children in its communities. A specific date for the bash has not been announced publicly.

For those who prefer to give online, the MCPS Educational Foundation runs a year-round virtual GIVE BackPacks campaign. A $20 donation supplies one student; giving levels scale up to $50,000 for a district-wide contribution. All donations are tax-deductible.

Potomac Lifestyle Magazine will host its 18th Park Potomac Ice Cream Social & Backpack Drive on Saturday, August 22, at 11 a.m. at Park Potomac.

The giving opportunities come as MCPS shifts its annual back-to-school fair from a single countywide event to six regional fairs, all on Saturday, August 22. As we reported July 21, the change brings supplies and services closer to families in each school region.

"Bringing these resources directly into local neighborhoods removes significant transit barriers and allows families to connect more meaningfully with the staff, school regions and community partners that serve their immediate area," MCPS public information officer Liliana López told MyMCMedia.

Maryland's Tax-Free Week runs Sunday, August 9, through Saturday, August 15. Clothing and footwear priced at $100 or less per item are exempt from sales tax, and the first $40 of a backpack purchase is also tax-free. School supplies such as notebooks and pencils are not included.

Upcoming dates:

  • Sunday, August 9–Saturday, August 15: Maryland Tax-Free Week
  • Saturday, August 22, 11 a.m.: Park Potomac Ice Cream Social & Backpack Drive
  • Saturday, August 22: MCPS regional Back-to-School Fairs
  • Tuesday, August 25: First day of MCPS 2026-27 school year
  • Saturday, August 29, 10 a.m.: Drive-Thru Giving & Shredding, All Saints Church, Chevy Chase