Does your area have help for back to school supplies and clothes?

[miss_cas]

Salvation Army has the same program here. They also hand out coats in November but you need to call ahead to find out the date. The local media only airs coverage of the event at 10pm after the event closed at 6pm.

Talk to the principal of your local school to see if they have a donations closet or are willing to set one up. Purchase the loss leaders such as 15 cent notebooks and folders plus all the other back to school items on special or 50% off after school starts and donate to the closet at your school. Do the same with gloves and hats when the weather gets cold.

[heartofmine]

I'm in a very low income area but I don't know of any assistance whatsoever for school supplies and clothing. We have one small food pantry that I've heard about. There is a church that gives out free clothing every so often but I don't have a clue where it is.

I always scratched around and managed myself. I found their clothing at yard sales during the summer to wear for school. We were always very low income. My kids did get the free lunch through school but that was it.

[sinopa27]

In my area, I always hear of where to take donations but I don't know where to get the donations if I needed it. I do know of a Methodist church that hands out backpacks with supplies but don't know how to find out the info of when and where. I guess our local social services submits names of families that qualify.

[bumplett]

same here sinopa ~ I see the school supply drives all over the place, at Publix, at Kroger, etc... but I wouldn't have a clue where people go to get supplies?

We have many churchs that have a food pantry year round, so my guess would be they have school supplies also - not sure, I've never been -

Unless it's something that's organized through social services, I don't think any of the local thrift stores give clothing vochers - I know of one that will give clothing to foster kids or fire victims, but it has to go through the county child services system - I wouldn't touch that with a ten foot pole -

At our school, we can donate our outgrown uniform shirts/khakis/navy pants, etc.

We just hang them on a rack for whomever can use them.

[imagine]

One must keep in mind salvation army and salvation army thrift store are not the same thing

The SA thrift store is a fund raiser for the salvation army.

In my town when the salvation army give backs to school clothing vouchers they are redeemable at walmart one of the only places in town to buy clothing shoes and underwear. The funds that provide for this are not SA kettle or thrift store funds but a fund set up for that purpose and carried out by our local Salvation army

[steelergal]

I am sure that some of the local food banks do a little something for BTS- the last time I helped around this time of year they gave some pencils, erasers, crayons. They had a little clothing drive for parents to find an outfit or two if they wanted too or find something in their childrens sizes (there was not a whole lot of pickings).

I do know of 1 church that has a food bank, only available to it's own church members. They give a fully loaded bookbag, lunchbox and a few items to take for in your lunchbox.

[BlissMommy]

Nothing really here. I know there are some backpack drives, but that is all I've heard of.