Donations of backpacks and supplies are needed for the continued success of the Do-All Materials Assistance Program.
Do-All Inc. Seeking Donations of School Supplies for 900 Children This Fall
Kids Count Measure of Child Poverty Rises to 45.5 Percent in Bay County
August 20, 2010
By: Dave Rogers
More than 900 applications for free backpacks and school supplies have been received for children by the Do-All Material Assistance Center.
The total of requests is about a six percent increase over the 850 children for which free school supplies requests were made to Do-All last year.
The pleas on behalf of children reflect new statistics showing that 45.5 percent of Bay County children qualify for free and reduced lunches. This a major indicator of community poverty as measured by the Kids Count program of the Annie E. Casey Foundation.
The percentage of students eligible for free and reduced lunches in public schools serves as a measure of socio-economic status of students in the district.
For example, in the most recent statistics available, the Ann Arbor public schools had 18 percent of students eligible for free and reduced lunches while in the Traverse City public schools the figure was 28 percent.
The Do-All Material Assistance Center is coordinating the Community E.T.C. (Educational Treasure Chest) program.
Help from the community is desperately needed to collect the backpacks and supplies.
"For the first time in five years, I'm not sure we will meet the need," says Kristal Corrion, Material Assistance Manager
for Do-All, Inc. "We are counting on the community to come through at the last minute or there will be children that won't be receiving the necessary supplies."
The agency has received applications for 900 children this year, a 6 percent increase from 2009. Distribution is scheduled to begin on Monday, August 23. In 2009, 850 backpacks filled with various schools supplies were given to local children.
"This has proven to be a very successful program in our community that contributes to a child's success in school," according to Corrion.
Donations of backpacks and supplies are needed for the continued success of this program. Items that are needed include: new backpacks, notebook paper, spiral notebooks, pens, pencils, crayons, markers, glue and glue sticks, erasers, pocket folders, pencil cases, colored pencils, pencil sharpeners, rulers, and binders.
Donations may be brought to the Do-All Material Assistance Center, 1465 W. Center Rd., Essexville (directly behind McDonald's on Center at Pine). Financial donations for the purchase of supplies are also accepted at the same address.
If you have questions about this program or would like more information about DOALL MATERIAL ASSISTANCE CENTER 1465 W Center Rd Essexville, MI 48732; please contact Kristal Corrion at 989-894-0764.
For more information about Do-All, Inc. please contact Dorothy Dean, Do-All, Inc., 989.894.4552, email: ddean@doallinc.org,
website: www.doallinc.org.
###