by Shelley Kishpaugh

Created on: April 21, 2009

The economic recession and school funding cuts are making it harder and harder for schools and their students to have the tools they need in order to learn. People are having a hard time simply feeding, clothing and housing their children.
Education is extremely important, but if it comes down to either feeding a child or buying paper and pencils for school, school supplies are going to drop down on the priority list.

Luckily, there are several organizations that specialize in getting donor money directly into the classroom, bypassing the school's administrations and creating a win-win situation for the generous folks who wish to help, along with aiding the children and the schools that are in need.

Here are some of the websites that can help:

1. Donorschoose.org This website allows teachers to write a little blurb about what it is they are seeking and why. For instance, perhaps a teacher needs some school supplies for a number of low income students in her classroom. The website has a dollar amount posted that the request will cost. A donor pays the amount with his or her credit card, and the money goes to buy what the teacher needs. Each donor may browse through the site to find a cause that they most wish to fund.

2. Adoptaclassroom.com This website allows teachers to sign their classroom up, and then people may go to the site to make donations. Schools can then send home flyers, or post them in the community in order to let people know that the classroom is registered and ready for donations.

3. Kidsinneed.net This program puts boxes of school supplies into the hands of children who might not otherwise have the proper tools to do their class work. The website gives step-by-step instructions on how to solicit corporate sponsors for donations to the School Box program. The sponsor companies have their logos printed on the boxes that are filled with things such as paper, crayons, and pencils and for the children. They have three different box types, based on the age level of the child receiving it.

If you aren't comfortable donating through websites, you may collect unused office supplies from your house, or purchase them at dollar stores and office supply stores on sale. Many school supplies are cheaper if you buy them in bulk, so for nearly the same price as your own child's
school supplies, you might consider buying supplies in larger quantities and then donate extras to a school.

Here's a list of supplies you might consider including in your donation: lined paper, pens and pencils, erasers, highlighters, binders, report covers, construction paper, glue sticks, markers, crayons, and colored pencils. You may bag your items and take them down to your local school. You may simply drop them off in the front office, or you may give them to a specific teacher.

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