JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Every crayon, backpack, and sheet of paper can make such a difference in a child’s learning and on a struggling family’s bank account.
That’s why Thursday at the St. Johns Town Center, Action News Jax teamed up with the First Coast YMCA and First Florida Credit Union to collect school supplies for children and families in need across our area, as part of the third annual “Tools for School” drive.
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“We want to be able to help the families as much as possible as well,” Chuck Steinfurth with the YMCA said. “So anytime we can give them some extra supplies so that they don’t have to take that out of their own wallets, I think that they’re appreciative of that as well, and we know that they are all going to great use in our programs.”
Each item will be going to the duPont Family YMCA to be then distributed throughout the community as needed, in a time when the high prices of everything can make even the back-to-school basics a luxury many families can’t afford.
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“In this world today, we just need some compassion, because so much things are taken away,” Reginald Taylor said after dropping off supplies Thursday morning. “We just want to try to just give back and try to help somebody along the way.”
The ultimate hope: that every item donated makes a child more excited to tackle the new school year, ready and willing to learn.
“Hopefully we can help the kids somewhere, and hopefully this will help them with their drive to stay in school,” Taylor said.
Eleven large boxes of school supplies were collected throughout the course of the drive. Thank you to everyone who helped local kids in need as they get ready for the school year!
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