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Backpack Drive Yields 2,342 Items for Needy Lansing Kids |
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by Dan Veaner
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Friday, 05 September 2008 |
When Margaret Shackell-Dowell moved to Lansing from South Bend, Indiana, she decided to try an idea that has been very successful there. Local television station WNDU asked for school supplies for kids in their ten-county broadcast area, and thousands of donors responded. In the seven years they have sponsored the event the station has distributed over 25,000 backpacks filled with school supplies to K-6th grade children.
Shackell-Dowell tried the idea here on August 23rd, the morning of Lansing Harbor Festival, and people responded. "I am just overwhelmed," she says. "I had a blast doing this, and I really believe that it can help kids get excited and productive for the school year."
The drive yielded 2,342 items including 11 new and 4 'gently used' backpacks, 25 binders25 packages of colored pencils, 60 packages of crayons, 104 folders, 99 glue sticks, 41 packages of loose leaf paper,31 mechanical pencils, 22 pencil cases, 831 pencils, 418 pens, 132 spiral notebooks, and 44 packages of markers.
Her group of volunteers also collected $187 in cash to buy items that they did not receive. Shackell-Dowell was asked for lice shampoo by the elementary school nurse, so some of the money will be spent on that. Backpacks filled with school supplies have already been distributed in the high school and elementary school.
School nurses or other designated representatives in each school are giving the school supplies anonymously so that students in need will not be embarrassed. Shackell-Dowell is already soliciting ideas to make the drive more successful next year.
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