Hamilton couple collecting school supplies for those in need

First there were two gardens with fresh vegetables for people to pick if they needed food.

Then there was the blue house with the white trim offering books in a free library. A mailbox hangs on the end offering seeds for those who want to plant their own gardens. The two libraries are guarded by a mascot mouse Puddin.

Now, Christine Poelman and her husband Nick Gordon are trying to collect small school supplies - in the blue building with curtains and a changing cast of silhouettes in the window - as kids prepare to head back to school. Poelman said they are looking for small items such as pens, pencils and scissors.

The family's home on Whitfield Avenue falls in Industrial Sector C, northwest of Gage Avenue and Beach Road, where there is no community group. Poelman put a plea for school supplies on the Crown Point Community site.

They started last year with the school supply drive. Items that did not find their way to school bags ended up going to a program for recovering addicts. With the school year and in-person classes approaching fast, Poelman is hoping for more help with supplies.

John Rennison is a Hamilton-based photojournalist at The Spectator. Reach him via email: jrennison@thespec.com