Erie Queer Community Back to School Drive

By Bobbie Fenno

As students and families prepare for a new school year, several LGBTQ+ and allied organizations are coming together to help ensure local youth have the supplies they need to start the school year successfully.

A Back-to-School Supplies Drive will take place on Sunday, August 9, 2026 with donations benefiting Compton's Table, a local organization dedicated to supporting LGBTQ+ youth and young adults in the Erie region.

Community members are encouraged to donate new school supplies such as notebooks, folders, pencils, pens, crayons, markers, backpacks, calculators, binders, tissues, and other classroom essentials. Every donation, large or small, can help ease the financial burden many families face as they prepare for the upcoming school year.

The drive is being organized through a collaborative effort involving Aging With Pride, ASCEND Climbing/Queer Scouts, Bears Do Dinner, Central Outreach Wellness Center, Compton's Table, Erie Gay News, Free Mom Hugs of Northwest Pennsylvania, the LGBT Fund of the Erie Community Foundation, NW PA Pride Alliance, Presque Isle Rise Up, and TransFamily of NW PA.

Community members can also contribute before the main collection event. NW PA Pride Alliance will have a collection box available during Erie Queer Happy Hour on August 5 at The Zone, providing an additional opportunity for people to donate supplies.

The organizers hope the drive will continue the Erie LGBTQ+ community's tradition of mutual aid and collective care by helping local students begin the school year with confidence and the tools they need to succeed.

If you would like more information or are an organization looking to get involved, please contact info@eriegaynews.com.

About the Author

Bobbie Fenno Bobbie Fenno (She/Her) joined as a contributing editor in 2025, but has been involved with Erie Gay News as a folding volunteer previously. She graduated from the University of Phoenix with a Bachelor's degree in Business, a certificate in Project Management, and an Associate's in Information Technology. Bobbie is also an active member of the LBT Women of Erie group and was also a board member for the NWPA Pride Alliance for four years (2021-2024).