As kids head back to school, families undergoing financial stress can find the extra expense of school supplies hard to handle. As school budgets stretch tight, they are asking families to pick up more and more classroom expenses, and teachers often dip into their own pockets to make sure their students have what they need.
The YMCA of Metropolitan Detroit, as well as its generous members, are stepping forward to help families deal with this extra expense, totaling almost $600 for many families. At each Y location, they’ve been spending the month of August collecting donations of new backpacks, lunchboxes, and school supplies like crayons and notebooks. Donations go to schools in each Y’s service area, so they stay in the community.
it’s a huge help for families struggling to pay for new school clothes, sports fees and all the other extra expenses that come at this time of year. “The gift of a backpack stuffed with school supplies and accessories will help equip a student for success and relieve some of the financial stress parents are shouldering,” said Reid Thebault, president and chief executive officer for the YMCA of Metropolitan Detroit. “Families with school-age children face many financial demands and the current economic climate makes providing clothing, child care and school supplies even more difficult. This small contribution can be a significant one.”