After deciding that helping one school with supplies wasn’t enough, a Renton pastor collected about $30,000 of school supplies in two months.

However, Pastor Mike Smith of Highlands Community Church didn’t do it alone. He partnered with Communities in Schools of Renton (CISR) to distribute the supplies and local businesses and even other religious organizations to gather them.

The drive was so successful Smith started a coalition to sponsor Bridge the Gap. Next year he hopes to double the program.

“We contacted the merchants in the city, and a few of them stepped up really graciously,” Smith said.

Fred Meyer, Costco and Walmart donated about 500 backpacks.

Highlands distributed about 2,000 gallon-sized bags for people to fill, and received about 1,800 back.

“You can imagine the mountain of school supplies that was,” Smith said.

People also donated money. Walmart gave $1000 as a part of its grand re-opening.

About 300 of the backpacks and 70 percent of the supplies were distributed Aug. 22 in Skyway, Cascade and at the Renton Technical College for about two hours.

The church loaded three of its school buses with supplies, and students went through the buses, filling their new backpacks.

“Children were able to choose themselves what they wanted,” said CISR director Sari Pascoe.

The kids were also free to take as many supplies as they wanted.

“We didn’t limit it at all,” Smith said. “We wanted to show them that they were special and their education was important.”

At the location in Skyway, a line formed before the bus doors opened and stayed fairly consistent until it closed.

The supplies were given mostly to elementary students, but middle and high school students with elementary siblings were also allowed to gather supplies.

The remaining supplies will be distributed through CISR’s Family Liaison program through the first two weeks of classes.

Highlands church had been organizing a school supplies drive for Highlands Elementary for a few years, when Smith decided to grow the program.

“It is important because teachers in schools expect children to come in to school to learn” Pascoe said. “If they don’t have a notebook, they are not ready to learn.”

After talking to City Council, Smith got connected with CISR and proposed the collection and distribution strategy.

Though the vision of coalition, which hasn’t been given a name, is bigger than one drive. The hope is to unite groups that serve the Renton School District, Smith said.

“This is the first year that a coalition is formed across the city, and there is a city wide effort to serve all public school students,” Pascoe said.

The coalition enables groups to support each other and share needs.

“The challenge is finding what the real needs are within in the community,” Smith said. “We have so many people in this community who live behind the walls of their house.”