Tuesday Blurb: Three Ways to Help Your Local School
School starts in our district this week. In less than twenty-four hours, I will pack a lunch, snap some pictures, and smile as the 9-year-old bounces up the street and onto the bus. We love summer, but we both love school, too!
If you subscribe to the Wash Rag, our August edition has already arrived in your mailbox. The Wash Rag offers exclusive content for subscribers, with content tailored to your audience of interest (0 to 4, 5 to 9, 10 and Up).. Let me just say this month we have tips for getting in a back-to-school frame of mind and a couple book recommendations.
Today I’ve got some ideas on ways you can help your school, even if you don’t have kids at home.
Idea #1: Clip Box Top$ 4 Education and Campbells Labels for Education labels from the General Mills and Campbells Soup Company (CSC) products you buy. It takes only a millisecond to do, and schools – and more importantly the students – benefit from the funds. Public and private schools participate in these programs, and schools on military installations can also benefit by receiving labels. The links take you to the website where you can learn more about the programs, as well as other bonus opportunities to make the most of your giving.
Idea #2: Link your grocery store loyalty card to a school … all of them. In our area, all of the grocery stores have programs where you link your loyalty card to a school so they can earn money for much-needed supplies. My favorite grocery store is Harris Teeter. It’s the place I go every week, but like every other mom, sometimes there’s a better sale price somewhere else, and I don’t want my school to lose out. You have to relink your card each fall, so I’m including links to each store’s community program. The great thing about the program is that even if you live in Greenbelt and your nephew lives in Roanoke, you can link your card to their school (provided they’re participating and they have the same grocery stores).
Food Lion MVP Classroom Rewards – You can also support local charities
Giant Food’s A+ Program – Relink beginning September 8
Harris Teeter Together in Education – Relink beginning August 1
Kroger Plus Card for Education – Relink begins August 27 (have to go in the store)
These are the stores local to our area … add your favorite store’s “school rewards” program in the comments and I’ll be sure to update the list!
Idea #3: Clean house … or at least the toy and book shelves. Do you have some toys with educational value still in very good shape but collecting dust at your house? What about children’s books? Check with your local school to be sure, but many accept books and educational toys. Puppet stages and puppets are great in preschool and K-1 classrooms, and Special Needs educators (speech communication, for example) can also find them. Art teachers (and others) love magazines that kids can use to create collages or other projects. And our librarian shares gently used books as prizes.
BONUS! If you like contests and giveaways, then check out a Sandwich and a Story, sponsored by Carl Buddig (the lunchmeat folks). Prizes include a Scholastic book library and a Buddig backpack filled with school supplies. Weekly winners will be chosen through a random drawing to receive an age-appropriate book. Go to Buddig.com/SandwichAndAStory to learn more. (via Dear Crissy blog).
These are simple, cost-free ways to help your community … particularly the kids. School and library budgets are stretched unbelievably thin … and these fundraisers can make a huge difference in the opportunities, tools, and resources students have – and need – to succeed.