for first day of school
The following was reprinted from a newsletter by the nonprofit organization School on Wheels
A national retail survey found that parents plan to reduce their back-to-school spending significantly this year.
The survey by TNS Retail Forward said parents on average will spend $506 on school-related items this year, compared to $668 last year.
And this year, with a poor economy and soaring gas and food prices, families are feeling the pinch harder than ever before.
But what if you have nothing? What if your family is homeless? How can you even begin to imagine having the right ‘stuff’ for school?
Recently for example, at School on Wheels we received a call from a grandmother living in her van; she was looking for a school uniform for her granddaughter, Marissa. They were told that she couldn’t start kindergarten without one. School started in Ventura County on Aug. 24, and she is already a week behind her classmates because she does not have the right clothes to wear. Fortunately, we have school uniform vouchers and we will make sure she has all she needs.
How you can help
On average a backpack filled with school supplies costs $50, and a school uniform gift card is $25.
Please consider donating to School on Wheels today so that we can help more parents get their children back to school and break down the barriers that prevent children like Marissa missing school.
To donate, or for more information, go online to www.schoolonwheels.org