Published: July 18, 2008 04:28 pm         

Real estate agent to give away school supplies

By Melanie Patterson

The North Jefferson News



For the second year in a row, a Gardendale businesswoman is helping families with school supplies.

Susanne Traweek, a real-estate agent for Remax Northern Properties, will be hosting a school supply giveaway in August.

She will be giving away basic items that children will need when they start back to school: Composition books, folders, Crayola crayons, rulers, pencils, pencil pouches and boxes, pens, notebooks and scissors.

“It’s not just for Gardendale students, but for anybody in north Jefferson and Blount counties,” Traweek said.

The school supplies are also not just for needy families. Traweek said that everyone is welcome to stop by to pick up what they need for school.

At least 30 people took her up on her offer last year.

Traweek said some of her encounters last year were emotional.

“A couple of women broke down and cried,” said Traweek. “People were very, very appreciative.”

Some people last summer got everything on their back-to-school list, while others just picked up some last-minute items that they had not yet purchased.

Traweek said that teachers were also welcome to stop by and pick up items for their classrooms.

She had plenty of school supplies left over last year, saying that she did not run out of any items.

What was left over, she donated to Gardendale and Fultondale elementary schools.

Traweek said that if anything is left this year, she will again donate it to area schools.

“I know what it’s like to have to buy school supplies for children,” said Traweek, who has two children of her own, 13-year-old twins Hanna Glinn and Jordan. They will enter eighth grade at Bragg Middle School in August.

“This is just my way of giving back,” Traweek said. “This is something I can do to help the community.”

Jefferson County schools start back Aug. 13 and Blount County schools start back Aug. 7.

The giveaway will be on Aug. 5, 8-11 a.m. at Remax Northern Properties, 1720 Decatur Highway.