With millions of children across the country living in poverty, a number of them go to school without the necessary school supplies that they need. Backpacks, pencils, notebooks, etc., are all items that some parents unfortunately cannot afford to buy for their children. And it’s not happening somewhere else: it’s happening right in your very own neighbourhood. So how can you make a difference?
One of the ways you can help is by organizing a school supply drive. There are a number of ways to go about this, but these guidelines should give you a general idea of how to get started.
Recruit Help
Before even beginning to plan out the drive, you’ll want to recruit some help and determine how many volunteers you’ll have. You could also contact local businesses and see whether or not they are willing to sponsor your event. Once you know the number of volunteers you have, use screen printing services to order custom t-shirts, that way people can easily identify your volunteers during the event. It’s also a great way to show off your sponsors by including their company names on the shirt.
A number of businesses are committed to helping their communities, so you may actually get more help and support then you may think – especially because it is a great opportunity for them to promote their business in the process. It’s a win-win situation, so be sure to take advantage of it.
Choose a Date and Location
One of your sponsors may be willing to host your event, and leading up to it your sponsors can include donation boxes in their stores and businesses. In fact, the more businesses that support your cause, the better, and they can help with the advertising of the drive.
If you can’t find a local business to host the event, try your local community centres, churches, or local schools. Finalize the date and location with whoever is hosting your event, and make sure that the majority of your volunteers are available on that day.
Promote Your Event
Use social media to get the word out, but also consider creating fliers and signage, as well as taking out an ad in your local paper. Your sponsors will probably be willing to have your signage and fliers at their stores, and may even promote the drive via their social media accounts.
Make sure you include the exact date, time, and location, and a brief description of the supplies needed. Most schools need paper, pencils and pens, staplers, glue sticks, rulers, binders, and much more. Ask your local schools what items in particular they may need.
Collect and Donate
If you are donating to multiple schools, make sure you are organizing your collected donations into separate piles for each one. Arrange with the schools when they’d like the items dropped off and where. Hopefully, you have some volunteers who own large vehicles for transporting, or you are able to rent trucks for the supply drive.
After all is said and done, hopefully you’ve inspired others, and you can feel better knowing that you’ve truly made a difference in your community.
