Donation Tree returns to Colony Square Mall to help kids gear up for school

ZANESVILLE, OH- A growing partnership is once again helping local students prepare for the upcoming school year.

Colony Square Mall has brought back its “Donation Tree” initiative in collaboration with Eastside Community Ministry. Now through August, community members can pick a tag off the Christmas tree set up near T.J. Maxx and purchase the back-to-school items listed on the tag.

“We are so pleased to be able to continue and boost this partnership that we’ve had here with Eastside Community Ministry, they do so much to help our community, all different folks here in need, so we are so pleased to be able to offer this donation tree,” said Colony Square Mall General Manager, Jessica Brailer.

The items collected will benefit Eastside’s Lace Up for Kids program, which helped more than 900 children last year.

“The process is really easy, you can pick a tag off of the tree, and that can have a variety of items that are necessary for back to school, and then you can drop those items off at JC Penny or The 146, or you can bring them down to Eastside Community Ministry, every tag has a specific item, you can take one tag, two tags, as many as you’d like, and then just bring that tag to wherever you are dropping it off with the items that you’re donating,” said the Executive Director at Eastside Community Ministry, Jamie Trout.

Organizers hope the effort will continue to grow and give local kids a confident start to the new school year.