How to Help Kids Get School Supplies

The economy is so poor right now that many parents are stressing over how to get the school supplies that their kids need. Parents who have several children face an even bigger expense as the school supply list can be very large. You can help less fortunate children in several ways. Even if you do not have any kids of your own, your help will still be greatly appreciated.

Donate Supplies Directly to a Local School

Some schools have a room set up where they keep extra school supplies. These supplies are usually donated by parents, grandparents or just people who want to help. Teachers monitor these rooms and can hand out supplies to children who do not have what they need.

The school may also decide to hand out supplies on a first come first serve basis. They may even decide that only those children who have qualified for the free or reduced lunch programs can have access to the supplies.

The school supply program is often run by the schools Parent Teacher Organization and those members set the rules as to which kids get the school supplies. These supplies can even be "awarded" to children for certain class room achievements.

This program works very well, because the child feels like they earned their supplies. Some parents may even feel embarrassed that their kid was "given" a box of crayons because they could not afford them. Giving supplies as an achievement award helps solve this issue as well.

Check with your local school to see if they have such a program. If the do not, suggest that it would be a good thing for the PTA to take on, or even volunteer to run the program your self. Host a school supply drive and ask the school to assist with a storage area.

Ask a Business to Host a School Supply Tree

We have heard of the "Angel" trees at Christmas time. This is where children's names are placed on a tree and someone chooses a name and then buys a gift for that child. Some times kid's names are not on the tree but it will say "Boy - age 3" or "Teen Girl."

A school supply tree could be hung with tags that say crayons, notebooks, pencils, etc. People could pull a tag from the tree, go purchase the item and leave it in a box or barrel next to the tree. These school supplies can then be donated to the local school or you could host your own school supply give away at the local fire department or community center.

Buy in Bulk When Shopping for Your Kid's School Supplies

Stores offer great back to school sales. Unfortunately, some people do not have the resources on hand to grab up a lot of the supplies that their kid's need. If you are fortunate enough to be able to attend these sales, buy at least twice of what your child needs. If note books are on sale at 4 for a $1.00, buy up as many as you can afford to purchase at once.

Your child's friends are probably in the same class, so they need the same school supplies. If you know that the kid's parents are struggling to make ends meet, share the supplies with your kid's best friend. You can even tell the parent that it was such a great deal you just couldn't pass it up. A true friend will be grateful for your help.