Well-supplied

Karin Etheridge, executive director of Best Opportunities, Thursday stands at the center of thousands of boxes of markers, crayons, backpacks, notebooks and other school supplies that will be distributed to school kids in the Barstow area Tuesday.

Best Opportunities’ clients, those who live with disabilities, assembled the school supplies this week along with juice boxes, dried soups, applesauce and other food items that can be eaten without needing to be cooked.

Best Opportunities purchased the school supplies and will be reimbursed by United Way, Etheridge said. At about 9 a.m. Tuesday about 12 of the organization’s clients will split up into groups of four and deliver the backpacks to schools in Barstow Unified and Silver Valley Unified school districts.

“This gives our clients work (that) they get a check for,” Etheridge said. “And they’re helping out the community.”