Re: Stuff the backpack/stuff the bus drives alread... - Page 2

catter70 · ‎10-11-2017

I help out when I can, but agree with @Snowpuppy I was born club footed and an organization offered to buy my special shoes and my father said I was his child and he would take care of it and he did. BTW, I'm a baby boomer so it was a long time ago.

chrystaltree · ‎05-10-2010

Perhaps they are trying to get people's attention before they go off on summer vacation or get all wrapped up in summer activities. I don't see a problem with it, I rather like the idea. I can see myself ordering a couple of backpacks from Amazon and a bunch of school supplies and getting it done. Rather then seeing the ads whenever they usually appear and taking a "I'll do it next week" approach but "next week" it slips my mind because there's my vacation and the cookout and the wedding gift I have to buy. My girls went to parochial school and we had to buy all of the school supplies, the school gave them nothing. We got the list around July 4th and I always bought everything on the list the week I got the letter. To get it off my plate.

Mominohio · ‎08-08-2010

@Snowpuppy wrote:
School up here will let out close to a week late this year due to so many cancelled weather days.

I'll just say from a personal perspective that I was a struggling parent for many years but ya know, I figured it out. How to get school supplies and a few new clothes every fall.

From backpacks to crayons to gym shoes and school trips, I did it. So if I can do it, why can't nearly everyone? Or has it just become just easier to wait for a handout than work it out for yourself?

@Snowpuppy

I struggle with charity sometimes.

There are always those in true dire need, due to circumstances beyond anyone's control, and I love to help in places I feel there is real need.

And I have come to understand that children can't help their circumstances. They have no choice in who they are born to or the circumstances in which they have to live, and I don't like to see them do without the most basic of things.

But I do know that the easier we as a society make it for people to not step up, to not be responsible, to not perform, there will be more people who choose to 'not' (as opposed to those who truly can't).

My husband works at UPS, and everyone there makes great money. He tells of several high paid employees that are the first in line for the free stuff like this, as many of these programs don't require proof of need. I just can't imagine making a six figure income (in this area, that is definitely good money) and being bold enough to show up with your hand out for something like free school supplies. But they do, and they brag about it. It does cause me to pause and wonder if I really should support certain things, and leads me to seek out places and circumstances where my donations will truly reach hands that need them.

Our local school system has a program like this, through local churches, but the backpacks are given to classroom teachers who see and know who has and who doesn't. Maybe a little more going to where it is truly needed. It's just some work sometimes to figure out where to give that serves the most in true need.

But there is definitely an element in society (always has been, but seems to get worse over time) that don't set priorities in their proper place, and are more than willing to take what others will provide.

Mominohio · ‎08-08-2010

@Snicks1 wrote:
Perhaps it has something to do with buying before the new tariffs hit?

Good thought @Snicks1 , that never occurred to me.

Mominohio · ‎08-08-2010

@Ruby Laine wrote:
It’s early in my nearest large city, too, @Mominohio. It started last week. In my smaller town it will start about the middle of July.

Elementary teachers will buy supplies out of their own pockets for students who do not have what they need. Instead of Stuff the Bus, I buy supplies (and Clorox Wipes) and drop them off at a couple of local schools. I know a couple of teachers and check with them first to see what they need most.

By doing it this way, I know supplies will go to students who need them. Teachers go through cartons of Clorox Wipes during the year, so I take those, too.

@Ruby Laine

Good direct route to take. I like it!

Mominohio · ‎08-08-2010

@Sooner wrote:
What I don't understand is why kids need so many art supplies? The lists I see are absurd with so many colored markers and specific things and papers etc. Do you really need to start with all new stuff every year? Are we teaching waste and excess to kids? Couldn't it be simplified?

I wonder how they have time to do anything but organize and color at school. Where do they even keep all this stuff and just as all the stuff we have at home and have, it takes a lot of time and effort to deal with it.

I think that Marie Kondo lady needs to come to school. I think some repurposing, some paring down and some calm would help everyone.

@Sooner

My son is now 22, but not all that long ago, when he was in grade school and jr. high, his school supply list was triple the public school's. And they were asking for lots of supplies during the year for various projects.

I know in our case, there was a ton of projects being done for themed units. For instance if they class was studying China, they studied, the art, the food, the music, the dress, the history, etc. Costumes, eating, creating things all took lots of supplies, and lots of non standard supplies. I was always happy to supply them, as the learning experience was so above and beyond and in depth.

I'm sure many schools do similar things, in that the kids have to create many things for a project, a written paper, a power point presentation, a poster or chart, dress the part, etc. It all takes 'stuff'! LOL

CelticCrafter · ‎03-09-2010

Last year our library and the small branch on the other side of the township held a school supply drive that was an epic fail due to the library staff.

We had a lot to donate, boxes full of notebooks, pencils, etc.

The small branch told us they weren't participating and wouldn't take anything we had to donate.

The main branch wouldn't let my husband have use of a rolling cart to put the stuff on to bring it into the library. Well, because it was heavy boxes, more than one or two - he didn't give it to them. We found another organization to donate it to.

They want people to do good but then won't offer the least bit of help bringing the stuff into them.

We won't do it again.

house_cat · ‎03-09-2010

@Snowpuppy

Kudos to you for making ends meet and raising a family despite the financial challenges you faced. That's a monumental achievement and you deserve to be proud of yourself.

I teach in a well-to-do area and even so, we have a significant homeless population as well as people living well below the poverty line. Even if a parent could scrape up the money to buy school supplies, it's nice to let the kids know that they are seen and that they matter. I would imagine the parents can use the money they saved on supplies to buy food.

Despite all the well-intentioned programs, there are always kids who can't get the supplies they need. Sometimes it's a monetary issue and sometimes parents just make bad choices. If you are in Walmart, or Target or any of the office supply stores in August, you will see teachers like me and my colleagues with carts full of supplies to give those kids whose parents, for whatever reason, haven't provided them.

~ house cat ~

SahmIam · ‎04-16-2010

No, nothing like this is starting early in my area.

My county doesn't end school until 6/24. Currently, a box of crayons is $3 at Walmart. First week of August, when the school lists come out, that price drops to 45 CENTS. Now, if you ask me to donate stuff now, I'm not paying full price for it...sorrynotsorry. Therefore, no donation from me. I don't know too many folks who would happily pay far more for something knowing the price will be much less in 8 weeks.

As for supplying schools with stuff....answered that once and as I recall, the thread got poofed after it got REAL ugly. So, no comment.