BUCKHANNON – The Upshur Cooperative Parish House is always looking for donations of peanut butter and jelly, as well as hygiene items.

Isaac Casto, the Parish House executive director, said they are always looking for food items that can be prepared easily and quickly.

“There is always a need for peanut butter and jelly in our pantry,” Casto said. “It’s just one of those things that’s a good, easy source of food for people, regardless of their situation. Some people are unhoused or in transitional housing, and this is summer, with kids being out of school — that’s something they can easily make. It seems like we’re having a hard time keeping cans of pasta sauce, and then our personal hygiene items are something we always need: deodorant, toothpaste, anything like that.”

The Parish House is also preparing for its Summer Break Bag distribution, which will take place from July 15 to 19 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

“Our summer bags are similar to what we did during spring break,” Casto said. “They are food bags for Upshur County students that may be food insecure, with more or less a week’s worth of food or snacks. They can come in, and we don’t take any information other than the name of whoever’s picking it up and then what school the child goes to.”

The Parish House is also gathering items for their back-to-school backpack giveaway in August.

“That’s where we have backpacks filled with homework supplies and personal hygiene items for all Pre-K through 12th grade Upshur County students,” Casto said. “We will pack those at the end of July, and then that distribution will start Aug. 7. That’s a Wednesday, and it’ll go a week from there, so Wednesday to Tuesday. We’ll start advertising that more once we get closer to it.”

All Parish House donations can be made at their location at 68 College Ave. Items needed for the back-to-school backpacks include backpacks (15-17″ or larger), single-subject spiral notebooks, packs of 24-count Crayola crayons, pocket folders, glue sticks, blank index cards (3×5″), highlighters, packs of markers, safety scissors, pencil sharpeners, loose leaf paper (wide or college-ruled), and hygiene supplies: deodorant, toothbrush/toothpaste and hairbrush/comb.