There are countless families across the country that are struggling to make ends meet. Unemployment rates are on the rise and many kids go to school hungry, tired, dirty and with little to no school supplies. Furthermore, state and federal funding of programs that support students is constantly being cut, making it even harder for kids to get the necessary school items they need to have a successful year.
What can you do?
Every year, thousands of volunteers and organizations lead the way in putting on our nations back to school drives. Summer time is an excellent opportunity to host your own school drive or take part in an existing one. These school donation drives give out school supplies such as pens, pencils, crayons, notebooks, folders and backpacks to community kids in need. Want to start your own campaign? Start with making a plan. Beyond dates and times, put together a list of needed supplies, donation drop off locations, and potential partnerships with other non-profits. Next, promote your event. Tell friends and family, make flyers to post around the community, spread the word throughout the local school district and make large signs for your drop off locations.
Buying for the cause
Often donations aren’t enough or are hard to come by. In planning your event, you may find yourself asking where can I get high quality items at an affordable price? The simple solution is buying in bulk. An excellent way to make a large contribution to a school supply drive is to buy at wholesale pricing. Backpacks USA is leading the way as a provider of wholesale backpacks and bulk school supplies. Get more for your dollar by buying items in larger quantities than you would at retail stores. A little amount of money can go a long way in helping a student reach their educational goals.
Drive Time
The day has come and its time to give back to the community! Make sure you have enough volunteer help lined up prior to the event. Your going to want to decide beforehand if you will be sorting out and pre-packing backpacks and school supplies or if you will just leave everything in piles for students to grab. Either way you choose, make sure you create some structure so everyone gets a fair opportunity to get the things they need.
Give Yourself a Hand!
You’ve now successfully completed your first back to school supply drive, give yourself a hand. Post drive is a perfect time to reflect and take note of things that went well during the event and things that didn’t. If you plan on making this an annual event, it’s important to keep track of the good and the bad. At the end of the day, you took the initiative to put on an charity event that was very valuable to your community and you should be proud of your efforts.