School is back in session! Can we afford it?
Summer is often a time of joy for many kids. They can sleep in, see their friends and go on trips on a whim. After three months of doing this, it is difficult to get back into the routine of waking up early and doing work at school. These kids will mercilessly complain about the beginning of the new school year, but the more important complaints are often unrecognized because they are from kids who cannot afford school supplies. While their peers can easily walk into any school supply stores and buy the materials they need, poorer students sometime have to choose between supplies and essentials such as heat and food. In a world that has the tendency to ignore the lower class, it’s easy to forget the plight of these students.
Certain organizations are trying to help these less fortunate students by providing them with cheap and even free materials. One of my local news stations, NBC10 news provided its viewers with a list of stores and their bargains so these poorer students could save money. Most of the bargains were under $1! Many of the new stations viewers live in poor parts of Philadelphia, so by providing them with the knowledge of these great deals, they help them save money. In addition, many charities are taking donations from citizens and giving them away to the needy kids. The non-profit organization, A Grain of Hope, started a project call ClassZoom that distributes supplies based on referrals from teachers. They take cash donations and then they purchase the supplies for proper distribution. Furthermore, although they are usually associated with sports, Boys and Girls Clubs of America’s school supply drive is one of the most successful ones in the US. It is very easy to get involved in this nationwide school supply drive! Staples has set up donation bins in all of their stores, so simply buy supplies and drop them off in these bins before September 17th and they are sure to go to children in need.
The students who need these supplies will be grateful for any sort of donation no matter how small. The fact that they can go to school and have the opportunity to gain an education that someday they might be able to use to help better their economic situation is wonderful. The supplies will only help these kids in doing just that. While $10 worth of supplies may not mean much to you, it can mean the world to a poorer kid who needs it.
-Cameron Barkan
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