Photo by Richard Hurd
Back-to-School Shopping for 21,100 Kids
For Immediate Release
Media Contact: Heather Manke, 608-663-8974
MADISON, WIS. — Having the necessary school supplies helps close the achievement gap and gives students the motivation to be successful in school, career and life. The need is far greater than you think and it has become harder and harder for families to find the resources to purchase the basic supplies needed to send their children back to school. That’s where School Supplies for Kids (SSFK) comes in.
For the past 26 years, School Supplies for Kids, a local non-profit charity, has been asking area businesses, foundations and organizations to donate funds to buy school supplies for economically disadvantaged school children in Dane County. In cooperation with area K-12 teachers, SSFK develops a list of the necessary school supplies students need for every grade level. With the donated funds, SSFK purchases supplies at a greatly discounted price. Thousands of pens, pencils, crayons, folders, papers and other basic school supplies are delivered to a staging area, sorted with the help of volunteers, and then delivered to public schools in Dane County.
A monetary gift has a far greater reach than the donation of items, and allows for elimination of duplication, control of consistency, and streamlines the logistics of collection and distribution. Last year, SSFK purchased roughly $55,720 worth of supplies and delivered to 141 public schools in Dane County. Through this effort, school supplies were made available to an estimated 21,135 economically disadvantaged students. This year SSFK is hoping to raise $60,000.
Donations are welcome both online and by check. All donations are tax-deductible and used entirely for the purchase of school supplies. Learn more by visiting www.schoolsuppliesforkids.org. Please like us on Facebook and follow our page to view our process. For media requests, please contact Heather Manke at 608.663.8974 or hmanke@vogelbldg.com
School Supplies for Kids (http://www.schoolsuppliesforkids.org/) has been serving economically disadvantaged students in Dane County for the past 26 years. The program started with helping just one neighborhood and has grown to include over 140 public schools.
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