Tools for Schools: Salvation Army Free School Supplies

lifh 18 Comments Personal Finance

Back to school time can be one of the most exciting times for children but can also be stressful for kids and adults. It represents a time for getting back to work, meeting new and old friends and embarking on a new adventure for most children.

However for low income families this can also represent a time of stress and disappointment. Parents struggle with the ever-rising costs of school supplies and the ever-increasing list of supplies that children need in a school system that continually cuts-back on the necessary learning tools children need. For children the fun of back-to-school can often be an embarrassing time that all too well reflects the hardships in their life that they endure by not showing up to school with the right tools for learning.

Tools for School
This is where the Salvation Army Tools for School program is helping families in need. A national program offered locally by each location focuses on the communities in need. This program is meant to get donations for local children in need of school supplies. Each Salvation Army centre teams up with local suppliers and volunteers to offer school supplies at a severely discounted price or for free in most instances.

The program eligibility and offerings differ per location throughout the US, but you can contact the center closest to you by searching their online center database found here. Centers like the Dekalb area location are providing pencils, books, binders, backpacks, notebooks and other school supplies to over 400 children locally.

 
Many local centers are looking for volunteers and donations for these programs to help increase the amount of good they can do during these stressful times. If you are in need, and you can offer to volunteer, it can provide a great learning experience for you and your children. This provides the opportunity to be both a recipient of the program and aid in its functions giving your children a better understanding of need in your community. Learn how to sign up to give or receive.

Other SA Programs to help alleviate costs
The Salvation Army provides a tremendous amount of programs across all areas of need that can often help take the financial pressure off a family in order to deal with increased spending needs at certain times of the year. If you have missed Tools for School or still need additional financial help, getting aid in other areas may help open up your budget and increase your cash flow.

Other assistance that the Salvos provide includes food pantries (groceries and meals), utilities (heating and cooling), prescription medicine help, transportation assistance, Christmas and other holiday meal assistance and in some locations medical and dental clinics.

Salvation Army has been providing services in the communities it serves for over 100 years. Its many programs help hundreds of thousands of low income families. Its Tools for School is just another such program to help low income families deal with extraordinary financial situations.

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