Tuesday, August 31, 2010

Hey Carmel, here's where you can stick your school supplies

I don't know whether you read the Sunday Star, but the front-page feature was on a public school teacher determined to have supplies ready for each of her students this fall.

So determined she was, and knowing that many of her students were impoverished, she ended up dumpster diving at the very affluent Carmel Public Schools. She ended up with three carloads worth of school supplies, many of them in wrappers.

This story really struck a nerve with me. And the more I've thought about it, the madder I've gotten.

It's not even about the wastefulness of tossing these supplies. It's that these could have with very little effort gone to brightening someone's day.

So, Carmel (and any other school where this occurs), here's where you can stick your school supplies:
  1. Scout troop.
  2. Freecyle.
  3. Vacation Bible Schools, preschool programs and Parent's Day Out.
  4. Day care centers.
  5. Homeless shelters.
  6. Any social service organization - many clients may have to take their children with them, and art supplies and notebooks would occupy them while they are waiting.
  7. Goodwill.
  8. Garage sales.
  9. Survival packets to take to church (or any other place where kids have to be quiet but struggle.) It's great to be able to hand a frustrated parent some extra crayons and pages to color on!
  10. Retirement homes. You'd be surprised what craft supplies will do to help our older generations who just need some stimulation!

Any place else I missed? Where else would you tell them to stick it?

2 comments:

Carol Michel said...

Yep, that story sure made the Carmel teachers and students look like a bunch of wasteful rich people who have no idea what it is like to want for something that you have no money to buy!

I think your list is pretty complete...

Corie said...

I just love it that you're telling Carmel to stick it! :o)