Councilwoman Peggy Neely's
Tatum Sun Times Column

August 2006

Back-to-School: Donate Student School Supplies

Believe it or not, the 2006-07 school year is getting started in just a few weeks for most schools. So head to the store or mall now and you'll likely see parents and kids picking up clothing and needed school supplies, like pencils, crayons, notebooks, binders, calculators and anything else that fits in a backpack. Teachers and parents agree that it is important for every student to be equipped with the appropriate school supplies so they can succeed in the classroom.

But the struggle for some is that with all the supplies our kids need, many families are not able to afford everything. Organizations and school districts across northeast Phoenix and the whole city have seen the need for supplies and are asking for help with donations for needy students.

Every August, AZ Helping Hands holds a back-to-school supply donation drive. AZ Helping Hands (AHH), a non-profit organization founded in 1999, provides programs and services to assist underprivileged and struggling families. The group works to empower Arizona families to help them make their children’s dreams come true.

Kathleen Donaldson is AHH's co-founder and she has an interesting and appropriate title - "dream catcher for kids."

"It is important to provide school supplies because by doing so, you instill pride in the students," Donaldson said. "Many students do not have the resources that others have, so it is important that each student feels a sense of pride and we give children hope so they can follow their dreams."

You can make a monetary donation online at www.azhelpinghands.org or bring new back-to-school supplies to the Arizona Helping Hands office at 5537 E. Grovers Ave., north of Bell Road. Call 602-867-3828 for more information.

School districts across District 2 are also helping. Some individual schools will be accepting donations when schools open, but you can also bring items to the Paradise Valley Unified, Deer Valley Unified and Cave Creek Unified school district administrative offices.

PVUSD's office is at 15002 N. 32^nd St., just south of Greenway Road. Call 602-867-5140 for more information. The Cave Creek School District office is at 33606 N. 60^th St., south of Carefree Highway. Contact Gina Durbin at 480-575-2026.

For the Deer Valley Unified School District, contact Kenna Hough at 623-445-5017 or bring new supplies to the district office at 20402 N. 15th Avenue, just north of the Loop 101. You can also bring the supplies directly to any DVUSD school.

According to the national organization Kits for Kidz, more than 36 million school children in the United States need this kind of help with school supplies.

All children deserve to start their first day of school well prepared with what they need to learn. It is crucial that we do what we can to help every deserving child have the same chance to succeed as those who are more fortunate. Help from the community is key to making that a reality.

Phoenix City Councilwoman Peggy Neely represents District 2, which includes most of northeast Phoenix. She can be reached at 602-262-7445 or through e-mail at council.district.2@phoenix.gov.