Hundreds of students at Reston’s Forest Edge Elementary School will head to class later this month with brand-new backpacks, thanks to a donation drive organized by a local church.
Congregants brought 240 backpacks filled with school supplies to the Trinity Church Reston campus (1950 Isaac Newton Square West) on Sunday (Aug. 4), according to campus pastor Robbie Hall, who thanked the donors for their generosity during the church’s 10 a.m. service.
“Each backpack is being filled with essential supplies based on a detailed list provided by the school, ensuring that students will have what they need to launch into a successful academic year,” Hall said in a press release.
The idea for the backpack drive came out of a conversation between Hall and Forest Edge’s new principal Dr. Brittany Rogers, who assumed the position on July 1 after previously serving as assistant principal at Lake Anne Elementary School.
Located at 1501 Becontree Lane, Forest Edge had 485 students enrolled during the 2023-2024 school year, and about half of its students typically receive free or reduced-price lunches, according to its profile.
Upon learning about the school’s needs, Trinity Church’s Reston congregation “enthusiastically took on the task of preparing the backpacks,” Hall says.
“Our church has truly fallen in love with the leadership, teachers, and students of Forest Edge Elementary, and we want to do anything possible to support their incredible new principal,” he told FFXnow. “…Also, our hearts resonate with the families in our area who are uncertain, maybe even a bit worried, about the availability of funds for new backpacks and school supplies.”
The anxiety of assembling supplies for a new year of school is personally familiar to Hall, who says he was the youngest of four boys and his parents often faced financial challenges in getting all of their kids the clothes, shoes and supplies they needed.
In total, Trinity Church members contributed over $9,000 in donated backpacks and supplies. Almost one-fifth of the packs came from a single donor: Bryce Merfeld, a rising high school senior who used income from his summer job to buy and fill 50 backpacks.
“His effort highlights the spirit of community support and the impact one person can make,” Hall said, adding that Merfeld is a “pretty cool dude.”
The backbacks will be delivered to Forest Edge families at the school’s back-to-school event this Friday (Aug. 9). Fairfax County Public Schools will start classes on Aug. 19.
With a central office based in Virginia Beach, Trinity Church has seven campuses around the world, including in Norfolk, Germany and the Middle East.
“The Reston Campus of Trinity Church is committed to partnering with Forest Edge Elementary to support its students, faculty, and staff,” the press release said. “This donation is a testament to their dedication to making a positive impact in the community and demonstrating that the students and staff at Forest Edge are valued members of the broader community.”
