STUFF THE BUS
HELP THE SALVATION ARMY STUFF THE BUS WITH SCHOOL SUPPLIES FOR LOCAL CHILDREN
The Salvation Army will be at Petoskey's Wal-Mart on Friday, August 9th and Saturday, August 10th from 10AM-6PM to Stuff the Bus with school supplies for children of low-income families. Lite 96.3 will be there to kick off the event and bring awareness to the community. Flyers with needed supply items will be handed out at each door by volunteers from community organizations such as the Emmet County Republican party and Little Traverse Bay Kiwanis Club.
Summer “fun in the sun” will quickly be morphing “back to school” and this year more than ever, low-income families need help affording the high cost of school supplies that have nearly doubled in cost over the last couple of years due to inflation. While some children are anxiously awaiting seeing their friends again and fun shopping trips for the latest trends, some children are dreading the return because their parents are simply unable to afford items that are vital to their education.
This not only puts more stress on children who already have stress from maintaining busy schedules between homework, sports and other activities, but also on parents who are trying their best to provide while rushing to the next event and on teachers managing under-equipped crowded classrooms.
“When one child has highlighters, sticky notes and colored pencils and another child doesn’t, it makes it more difficult for them to navigate through the curriculum being taught” says Jenni Hand, Pellston Middle School Teacher. When asked, a local high schooler said he would not only feed ill-prepared, but also feel embarrassed if he didn’t have access to the supplies his peers had and that he needs to succeed.
Stuff the Bus donations are distributed to local schools in Emmet, Charlevoix and Antrim Counties. Two school districts are chosen to be the recipients each year on a rotating basis. For example, last year Mackinaw Public Schools and Boyne Falls Public Schools were chosen while the year prior they were distributed to Pellston Public Schools and Alanson Public Schools. By allowing schools to have the supplies on hand, they are immediately accessible to the children who need them and because they are given confidentially, children do not experience a feeling of shame because their family cannot afford the same items their peers have.
If you are unable to get to Wal-Mart you can find Wal-Mart’s online “Registry for Good” and purchase supplies that will be shipped to The Salvation Army of Petoskey. You may also drop supplies off Monday-Friday 9AM-4PM (closed noon to 1PM) at The Salvation Army’s new Community Center located at 2350 Mitchell Park Drive in Petoskey from now through Friday, August 16th.
The Salvation Army, an international movement, is an evangelical part of the Universal Christian Church. Its message is based on the Bible. Its ministry is motivated by the love of God. Its mission is to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ and to meet human needs in His name without discrimination. For more information about our ministries, programs or services or to donate, please visit www.sapetoskey.org or call (231)347-3531.