DEAR SUN SPOTS: The Leeds Clothing Center at 160 Church Hill Road is having a bag sale Saturday, June 15. We did this last year and had much success. The Clothing Center is next to the Russell Medical Center in a large yellow building. The bag sale is $2 for a bag that you can fill up with as many clothing items as you want. All proceeds go to the Leeds Community Church to benefit its food pantry.

We also have household items, shoes, books, toys, craft supplies. All kinds of holiday decorations are upstairs. We accept donations. Hours are 9 to 11 a.m. every Saturday.

We want to thank Sun Spots for all the help you give to nonprofits. We really appreciate it.— Joanne, no town

DEAR SUN SPOTS: It’s important for students to have the tools to successfully learn. United Way is proud to help children throughout Greater Franklin County access these tools by providing free backpacks stuffed with school supplies for those in need.

United Way of the Tri-Valley Area is taking applications for our Packs for Progress  initiative, where we partner with the Farmington Rotary and other local businesses to provide backpacks for eligible students living in Greater Franklin County and/or attending schools in RSU 9, RSU 73, SAD 58, Rangeley schools, Stratton School, including home-schoolers, grades prekindergarten through grade 12.

Backpacks will be available for pickup Aug. 20 and 21 between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. at our office at 218 Fairbanks Road in Farmington so students are ready to learn when school starts.

Supplies needed include big pink erasers, pencil top erasers, folders, pens, pencils, markers, colored pencils, crayons, 1-inch spiral notebooks, lined 3-hole punched paper, pocket tissues, rulers, three-ring binders, hand sanitizer in individual sizes, composition notebooks and backpacks. We are always collecting for this program, so anyone interested in donating money or supplies, or help with the backpack application, can call Nichole at 778-5048.

— No name, no town

ANSWER: For more information, go to https://www.uwtva.org/what-we-do/projects/packs-for-progress. Applications for backpacks can be downloaded and printed from https://tinyurl.com/y5axt5h7.

DEAR SUN SPOTS: Mission at the Eastward (MATE) has been serving the region since 1964 in the form of a summer camp – Camp at the Eastward (CATE), as well as a housing ministry.

MATE provides an opportunity for children to attend summer camp who would not otherwise be able to enjoy this experience. The MATE Housing Ministry, formerly the North Parish Housing Ministry, repairs the homes of community members who live in poverty or those with disabilities. Volunteers from near and far help perform the repairs. There is a desperate need for volunteers.

If you are able and willing to volunteer during the summer camp season (the first three weeks of July) or with the housing ministry, it would not only be greatly appreciated, but can be a life-changing experience.

Donations for scholarships for children attending camp, or to purchase materials for housing repairs are also welcome.

Please contact Thea Kornelius at 491-8404 or rev.thea.mate@gmail.com if you are interested in helping. For more information, go to http://www.missionattheeastward.org/.

— No name, no town

This column is for you, our readers. It is for your questions and comments. There are only two rules: You must write to the column and sign your name. We won’t use it if you ask us not to. Please include your phone number. Letters will not be returned or answered by mail, and telephone calls will not be accepted. Your letters will appear as quickly as space allows. Address them to Sun Spots, P.O. Box 4400, Lewiston, ME 04243-4400. Inquiries can also be emailed to sunspots@sunjournal.com.