Tools 4 School in 17th year in county

It’s still a few weeks before children in Jackson County return to school, but many families are dreading the cost of supplies needed to help make their children’s upcoming school year successful.

That’s where Tools 4 School comes in.

The Tools 4 School non-profit program, now in its 17th year, serves families in the Holton, Jackson Heights and Royal Valley school districts who are experiencing financial hardships at back-to-school time, according to program director Kelli Thompson.

“This is for children and families of any of the school districts across the whole county,” said Thompson, currently in her second year of administrating the program, which helps families of students in pre-kindergarten through eighth grade.

Since the program’s inception in 2010, volunteers have filled more than 1,000 backpacks with essential school supplies for families in need, made possible by the generous donations of people in the community, it was reported.

“The biggest takeaway from this for me is how generous the community is in helping support this program, as well as the fact that we help more than 100 children every year at this time,” Thompson said. “We’re also looking for people who would like to volunteer to help with this program, and I’d gladly welcome some volunteer help.”

Donations of school supplies are being sought and may be dropped off at Evangel Church in Holton, which houses the program, Thompson said, noting that while many supplies have been generously donated, there are some items needed to make this year’s distribution a success.

“The one thing that we’re short on for this year is the three-ring notebooks with clear-view covers,” she said. “We’re also looking for three-ring, zippered pockets that are kind of like a Trapper Keeper but with zippers on them.”

Other supplies needed for backpacks include crayons, Kleenex, erasers, anti-bacterial wipes, pencils (regular and colored), loose leaf paper, pens (black, blue and red), quart and gallon-size snack bags, folders with and without prongs, hand sanitizer, Trapper Keepers, markers, spiral notebooks, glue sticks, white glue and pencil bags.

Families needing assistance with backpacks and school supplies may pick up an application to participate in this year’s Tools 4 School program; applications are available at Evangel Church or any of the three school districts’ main offices through next Monday, July 27, which is the deadline for turning in the applications, it was reported.

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