Local News
Back To School Supply Drive Underway In FDL
A consortium of churches and local agencies including the Boys & Girls Club, the Solutions Center, ADVOCAP, and The Salvation Army in addition to the Fond du Lac School District and The Reporter are working to provide needed supplies for students whose parents or guardians are under employed, unemployed or who are economically disadvantaged in some way.
The Supply Drive features collection sites located AAA Insurance, Agnesian HealthCare, Anytime Fitness, Ascension Lutheran, Blessed Bee Cupcakes, the Boys and Girls Club, Charter Communications, Church of Our Savior, Commonwealth Construction Corp., Community Church, Covenant United Methodist, Family Dollar, FDL Bumper Exchange, First Presbyterian, Fond du Lac Family YMCA, Forest Mall, Grace Christian Church, Holy Family Parish, Memorial Baptist, Oakfield Methodist Church, Pilgrim UCC Memorial Baptist, Salem United Methodist. AAA Insurance (the Rolling Meadows location) is offering the bonus of a free road atlas for those that donate a backpack.
The annual, and always fun, “Fill the Bus” campaign will feature three stops this year. Starting on Saturday, July 27, at Wal-Mart the bus will collect school supply donations from 9AM to 3PM. Its second stop will be Friday, August 2 at Walgreens on Pioneer Road from 10AM to 3PM and its last stop will be on Friday, August 9 at ShopKo from 10AM to 3PM
“The bright yellow bus draws attention to the Drive,” says Karissa Schneider and Louann Fauska co-leaders for the Back to School 2013 supply and distribution team. “The average cost of school supplies is $65.00 for a backpack, pencils, erasers, crayons, paste, rulers, notebooks, folders, pens, colored pencils, paper and other miscellaneous supplies, depending upon the grade the child is in. We hope shoppers will remember to walk through the school supplies aisle, purchase a few items and make a stop at the ‘Little Yellow Bus’ on the way to their vehicle.” The yellow school bus is loaned to the Back to School effort compliments of Johnson School Bus.
Registration for the August 24 distribution event started on June 10 and will continue through August 16. Families who are eligible and within income and residential parameters (Fond du Lac County) may apply for assistance and are asked to make an appointment to complete paperwork at ADVOCAP Head Start, Big Brothers Big Sisters, the Boys and Girls Club, the Family Resource Center, The Salvation Army, and the Solutions Center. Proof of residence in the form of a current rent receipt, utility bill, government or W-2 document, or Driver’s license is required. Families are also asked to bring proof of household income in the form of pay stubs, bank statements, or free and reduced lunch paperwork. Families that qualify will be assigned a specific “shopping” time on Saturday, August 24, at the Boys and Girls Club of Fond du lac at 76 W. 2nd Street.
Donations can be mailed to Back to School, c/o Loaves & Fishes, P.O. Box 644, Fond du Lac, WI 54936-0644. Checks should be made payable to Back to School 2013 indicating Loaves and Fishes on the memo line. Donations of $500 or more will be recognized in a press release after the event.