School Supplies

It's That Time...

With under 4 weeks until school starts, I planned a school supply shopping outing with my girls for last Friday. After roaming the aisles, checking, and re-checking the detailed lists, the mission is complete! All of our school supplies are purchased and ready to report for their first day of class.
Happily, we shopped far enough in advance that we were not fighting the usual aisles jammed with shopping carts and moms with out of control kids. The supply shelves were not picked over and did not look as though a bomb had gone off in the school supply section of the store. That look will be saved for this coming weekend and beyond... all the way through the first week of school.At Back To School time, when the prices are low for School Supplies, I always purchase extras for three reasons:

• To Re-stock our Home Supplies
• For Mid-Year Re-stocking in school classrooms
• For donation to a child in an underprivileged school (I involve my children in the selection and donating process)***See Below for service project idea.

When you are out shopping and see the sales on School Supplies, consider purchasing extra for donation. Chances are, the store you are in that very moment has a collection box up front and is associated with a worthy charity. If not check your local newspaper for a donation spot or even contact a local school to donate directly.

I am always looking for opportunities to serve others and to teach my children this same pattern. Let your children or entire family become involved, at some level, in serving and helping another child succeed in school. If you do not have a family at home, use this as a time to re-visit the school supply aisles of your childhood. Many stores have the supply lists from the various neighborhood schools, grab one, purchase the items on the list for a specific grade and then drop it off at that school. The possibilities are many when serving others.

***As I shop for school supplies, I am always reminded of The Eagle Scout Project of my son, Andrew. He organized a School Supply Collection Drive for a school serving a migrant farm workers community. I was able to sit down with another Eagle Scout Candidate last week and show him Andrew's project notebook. This project is now underway in our community and will help the same School Andrew assisted a few years ago.
The project is set up in 3 levels:
1)The main portion patterned after the "Scouting For Food" drive. One Saturday, Bags are distributed to 1,000+ homes with a note asking the resident to fill the bag with school supplies and leave on their front porch for collection the following Saturday by 9am.
2) Collection Boxes are placed at Businesses and Churches for a defined period of time
3) On one Sunday, our Church Congregation Members will be handed bags with a note attached that asks for the bag to be filled with school supplies and returned the following Sunday.

This is an amazing project for any group or individual to sponsor. If you have any questions, contact me for details.

Other items that need to be collected are: Packages of New Underwear or Socks, Shoes, and School Clothes, and Snack Items. In many of these schools, the teachers do not give out typical "treasure box" items. They give out clothing items and nutritious food. The very basics.