Each year my office sponsors a back-to-school project where we collect donations from local attorneys and spend the money on school supplies, which we give to the children of our poor clients and other needy families. And each year, I end up with too many pencils, not enough book bags, and at least one child who stresses out!
This year, we started late because I was on vacation. And school started so early--August 3! But we've collected $750 plus in-kind contributions from donor attorneys, assembled 36 bags, and distributed most of them so far. Today, one woman arrived at the speed of lightning after receiving the telephone call that we had school supplies for her 4 children, and she had tears streaming down her face as she practically danced out of the office with the box. Another just kept saying thanks over and over again.
Saipan is depressed economically, but there are still generous people out there helping make this project a success, and still good manners and gratitude that make us smile. And there will be at least some kids who have a little reason to go to school and try harder--if just to sharpen those new pencils, uncap the highlighters, or play with the zippers on the book bags.
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We've gotten more donations since I posted. In-kind and cash, now up to $1,250 total. Another shopping spree today.
There's a teenager doing that for needy students in San Francisco:
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article
.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/08/05/BA5SRBRGI1.DTL
&hw=school+supplies&sn=008&sc=132
Sorry about the funky looking link.
After Katrina there were some sisters in Minnesota who started Project Backpack to get packs to relocated kids. I sent mine to Houston but they went to Baton Rouge, too.
I also loved the start of school, new unmarked Peechee folders and fresh binder paper in a clean, unfrayed binder. September has alwaysbeen my "new year's."
I love all of the school supplies. We pack differently for the backpacks for kids in Kindergarten to 5th grade than those for students 6th grade to 12th grade. Although I am an adult, I love the little kid backpacs the best, with construction paper, glue, crayons and scissors. Makes me want to sit down and play!
The older kids get protractor sets (some with calculators), art erasers, high lighters, white-out tape, colored pencils.
And every back pack has a binder, filler paper, notebooks, composition book, pencil case with pens or pencils (or both), pencil-top erasers, and pencil sharperners.
It's a fun project and helps kids from poor families have a little more fun, a little less anxiety about school.
SF Gate Reports
This is the link for Samatakah's article.
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