JMB Gives Back: Jacksonville Area School Supply Drives

As a Mom of two school-aged children, this time of year means preparing for Back-to School, and one of the biggest things included in that is school supply shopping. For our family, it’s something we tend to take for granted. A new school year begins, I get a list of supplies, and we head out to find the supplies on that list ensuring everyone is prepared with at least the basics for their first day.

Back to SchoolFor many families, however, it’s not that easy and shopping for school supplies isn’t as simple as just heading to the local store and checking items off a list. Studies suggest that we’ve now reached the point in America where the majority of public school students (an estimated 51%) come from low-income families. This means the cost of going back to school can create hardships for many families who are just trying to make ends meet.

It’s always been important to us as a family to give back where we can, and each year, we look for ways that we can assist with extra school supplies in classrooms, stuffing backpacks for local charities, or just picking up a few extra supplies to have available for donations when needed.

At Jacksonville Moms Blog, we wanted to share a few of the local organizations who are making a difference in our community for these children and offer ways that you can join them.

Metro Kids Konnection – Near and dear to our family’s hearts, Metro Kids Konnection hosts an annual backpack drive for the children in their community. They are in need of the following supplies: backpacks, loose leaf paper, crayons, composition books, colored pencils, rulers, markers, pencils, pens, spiral notebooks, folders, 3-ring binders, tissues, scissors, and glue sticks. Supplies can be dropped off M-Th at Oakleaf Christian Fellowship.

Brave Kings – Brave Kings (Boys Regulating Against Violent Encounters) is looking for school supplies for ages 5-18. Visit their website for donations details.

Daniel – Daniel is hosting their 2015 Back To School Supply Drive. Donations are due no later than August 7th.

Child Guidance Centers – In addition to collecting school supplies annually, Child Guidance Centers offers individuals the opportunity to make a monetary donation to go towards this cause. For a listing of supplies, click here

15th Annual G.O.K.I.D.S Campaign – School supplies are collected for needy students in every school in Nassau County and distributed at the beginning of the school year. Needs include pencils, pens, markers, paper, notebooks, and backpacks. For information on drop off locations, visit their website.

Back To School Buccaneer Bash – Watson Realty in Fleming Island will be hosting a back to school bash on August 8th. The event is free with a school supply donation that will benefit Clay County School children in need.

These are just a few of the options locally where you can donate and make a difference in a child’s life. Many of these campaigns end in August, however, so if’ you’re looking for a way to give back throughout the year, purchase a few extra supplies and donate them to your child’s classroom.

How about you? Are there favorite charities locally that your family supports during Back-to School time each year? Comment below and let us know!

Christie Pettus
Christie Pettus is a full time working wife and mother living her suburban cul de sac dream in Orange Park, Fl. She is Mom to two awesome teenagers, McKenzie and Ethan, who have come to accept that certain parts of their lives will be blogged about, so they should act accordingly. As graduates of the University of Florida, she and her husband Ryan can be found rooting on their alma mater every chance they get including the more obscure sports. LaCrosse anyone? When she’s not judging her kids' questionable teenage choices, she can be found hiding in a room buried in a good book or writing, editing, and dreaming about being a full-time author.

3 COMMENTS

  1. Me and my 3 children are currently homeless and don’t really have the means at this time to buy school supplies. I was wondering if we would be eligible to receive the giveaway, and if so where would we need to go, or who do I need to contact to get them?

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