Back To School

Ah, back to school time.  It used to be my favorite time of year...not because I liked school, but because I loved new notebooks and pens and textbooks.  To my Mother's chigrin, I could care less about new clothing or shoes.  I wanted the tools of school.  Admittedly, I was raised comfortably seated in the middle class.  My Mother did everything she could to see that my sister and I had every opportunity, everything we needed, and most things we wanted.  It never occurred to me then that there were students in my class that could not afford even a notebook or pack of pencils.

Over the last five years, my Mother and I have bought backpacks, supplies, underwear and socks for elementary school aged children and delivered them to local schools.  I always knew the need for these items was great, but last year I discovered that here in Las Vegas, there are a number of elementary schools that have 80% of their student bodies made up of severly impoverished and/or homeless children.  The economic straits we find ourselves in has only served to exacerbate an already horrible problem.  Some of these children only get the two meals provided for them by the school's cafeteria each day.  Their evening meals and weekend meals are very often non-existent.  Hollingsworth Elementary School, located at Bruce and Fremont Street in Las Vegas, has a sort of supply closet that they've turned into a "store" for these students.  They stock sneakers, socks, underwear, coats, sleeping bags, backpacks, school supplies, and non-perishable food items such as jars of peanut butter and loaves of bread.  They try very hard to give some food items to students they know will have no meals while they are not in school.  

On Tuesday, I will be dropping off four backpacks loaded with supplies and bags of underwear and socks to Hollingsworth.  To me, no child should have to worry about simple things like the lack of pens and pencils and paper, when they don't know where they will lay their head that night or where their next meal is coming from.  They have enough impeding their precious futures.  I know school supplies are expensive for families...but would you pick up some extra supplies for those in your child's class that may not have the means to get them otherwise?