Getting back to school with a little help
Dallas ISD students headed back to school this week with a little help from the community. As in past years, organizations, businesses and individuals donated supplies and other items so students have the tools they need to succeed right from the start.
“We want to ensure that every student has an equal start at the beginning of the school year,” said Candace Sledge, director of Partnership and Volunteer Services, which manages donations. “Having students show up with a brand new backpack and the supplies they need versus coming in empty-handed helps set the tone for the families and the students on that first day.”
Fortunately, local businesses and nonprofits have stepped up to put supplies in students’ hands and lessen the burden for families. DFW Yes is donating 10,000 boxes of school supplies so students at 22 Dallas ISD schools show up to class with their own box, while car dealership Clay Cooley is donating backpacks to students at two nearby schools. Office Depot treated students and teachers alike to school supplies, backpacks and gift cards at Stephen C. Foster Elementary School and Otto M. Fridia Elementary School their first week of school, and the Dallas Mavericks kicked off the first day of school at Adelle Turner Elementary School—the team’s adopted campus—with donated backpacks and a new basketball court unveiling. Other back-to-school donors include Big O Tires, Common Sense and Shoes That Fit.
And it’s not just organizations that are making a difference in Dallas ISD. Individuals and smaller groups are volunteering to host and support back-to-school supply drives.
Donations are the perfect opportunity to make connections and build relationships with community partners. Schools are reminded to log all donations monthly and stay connected to your donors throughout the year by following the A.R.T. of accepting donations in accordance with CDC policy.
- Approval—Get the right approval
*Contact Partnership and Volunteer Services prior to accepting donations of technology, funds for technology and/or donations from an Erate/tech vendor.
- Record—Record the donation
*Includes completing the documentation form and recording all donations online.
- Thank—Thank the donor
*Includes the thank-you and sharing a copy of the acknowledgment of the donation form.
