CBS4 Collects School Supplies For Boys & Girls Club Members
DENVER (CBS4)- CBS4 is teaming up with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Denver and New Balance to provide new school supplies to kids who need them.
On average, a family will spend $639 per child on back-to-school supplies. The cost for high school students is even higher. Many families simply can't afford that kind of extra expense.
"So many of our families live below the line of poverty so just making ends meet is hard enough, much less trying to focus on back to school and the school supplies needed," said Erin Porteous, Vice President of Development for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Denver.
The Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Denver serve 10,000 children through their 16 facilities in the Denver metro area. Nine out of 10 club members come from low-income households.
"Our club families are working hard often times just to be able to afford rent and utilities and to put food on the table, so spending money on school supplies for children becomes more of a luxury, not something they can do out of necessity," Porteous told CBS4.
The Clubs play an important role in after-school care and summer programming. Members have access to academic programs, organized athletics, computer training, art classes and leadership workshops.
"Boys and Girls Clubs play a key role in children's development. We're there to fill the gaps when families are out working all day," Porteous explained.
School supplies are key to making sure a child is ready to meet the demands of school.
"It's important to make sure our kids are prepared, so not only do they start the year right, but they are able to continue through their grade and excel beyond," Porteous said.
LINK: 2015 School Supplies Wish List
We're accepting donations of new school supplies that include the basics like pencils, pens and papers; specialty items like graph paper, glue sticks, and sticky notes; and the high dollar items like backpacks and lunch sacks. Anything that doesn't end up being given directly to the club members can be used in the clubs themselves.
"School supplies are used in a variety of ways at the Boys and Girls Clubs. We're able to use them in our learning center when we're helping kids with our homework, also in our art rooms and our science rooms," Porteous explained.
In 2013, American families spent an estimated $26.7 billion on school supplies. Any parent can tell you that back to school is an expensive time of year, and CBS4 wants to make sure that every child gets a good start on the school year.
"When you participate in the Care for Colorado School Supply Drive, we're able to supply each child with the supplies they need to start the school year right," Porteous explained.
Evi is a 9-year-old club member. She'll be going into the 4th grade this year.
"My most favorite part of school is art because then you can be creative and you can do a lot of stuff to represent who you are," Evi told CBS4.
CBS4 talked to Evi while she was working on a picture during art class at one of the clubs. She says that having school supplies at the start of the school year is very important.
"You need that stuff to help you with all these different activities that your teacher tells you to do. If you need to write an essay, then you write an essay, but if you need to cut out shapes or something then you can… so you need scissors for your school supplies," Evi explained.
You can make a donation at the CBS4 Studio at 1044 Lincoln Street. New Balance will give customers 10 percent off their purchase if you drop off school supplies at one of their two stores: Cherry Creek North, 156 Steele Street, Denver, CO 80206; Aspen Grove, 7301 S. Santa Fe Drive, #520, Littleton, CO 80120. You can also make a cash donation.
LINK: Make a cash donation to the Care 4 Colorado School Supply Drive
Libby Smith is a Special Projects Producer at CBS4. If you have a story you'd like to tell CBS4 about, call 303-863-TIPS (8477) or visit the News Tips section.
