Check out the email I received from fellow Frugal Living NW reader, Dina:
Last week, under the Fred Meyer weekly deals, Howard (your local frequent frugal living replier) had commented that he had school supplies and if someone were interested in them to contact him.
I am a middle school teacher in the Woodburn School District. I teach ESOL (English for Students of Other Languages). I teach from Newcomers (no English at all) to Advanced English. Some of our students come from war torn countries, escaping drug cartels or poverty. These students come with nothing. The last thing on their mind are school supplies.
When I explained this to Howard, and many back and forth emails, he invited me over to see what he had. He wanted to donate those supplies to those students who needed them most. I tried to give him some money, but he wouldn’t take it, claiming his couponing had gotten them for free or low cost.
With these supplies, I’m going to make ‘supply packets’ and take them to the students who need them, before school starts. What a generous gesture from a fellow couponer!
This is so awesome! Many thanks to Howard for his continuous generosity and Dina for sharing this story with us.
Do you have extra school supplies from the past few weeks of couponing and loss leader hunting? Please consider dropping them at your local public school (I’m sure every single school has students who need supplies) or ask some of your teacher friends if they know of a classroom who could use extras.
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Thanks Howard, for making a difference in the lives of many and for showing an act of kindness! We need more like you in this world. 🙂
3 cheers for Howard!
Update on Howard’s donation:
I’ve talked to our school counselor, Migrant family secretary, and Family coordinator…they were SHOCKED to see the supplies. Our counselor said she knew immediately of 3 students, whose mom had come to talk to her, (the day before I told her of the supplies), not knowing how to afford supplies for her children. She’s a single mom, making only $200 a month and living with three other families. After finding three gently used backpacks, we are going to fill them up with supplies and on Thursday, deliver them to these students. Just thinking about it makes me teary eyed.
Thank you, thank you, Thank you Howard. These are the moments that makes me feel like I’ve helped make a difference.
That’s awesome!
I say hurray for all of you who have helped out and for all of you teachers who are sensitive to the feelings of kids without. Remember how exciting it was to start a new year with a new sharp pencil, some crayons that had not been broken and a pencil bag. You just knew that THIS year was going to be the good one.
Thanks, I was glad to unload it all, frankly.
Now, who wants toothpaste?
and Howard, you only corrected my English once…lol…I found it endearing….love this guy…because I should have known better…
I’m a high school teacher in Mississippi. We started back to school three weeks ago, and on the first day I had a student show up with nothing more than a pencil pouch filled with nubby colored pencils. I think, for most of us, it’s hard to imagine not having even the most basic necessities to return to school with. Way to go, Howard!
I too have a stock pile of basic school supplies. Last year I kep taking pencils to my middle school. The office manager was thankful. Kids ask all the time for the. I get the list from the teacher and buy twice what is required so if she has a student in need they can call me.
When I had high school kids at home I gave 2 paper bags of school supplies to my local juvenille probation officer for needy kids. They loved it.
Awesome! That is one huge donation pile! Fred Meyer must have had one great sale! Our king soopers didn’t have anything like that!
They weren’t all bought at Fred Meyer, he had just commented there
I would be curious where he got most of it. Our sales were dismal this year.
This was several years’ accumulation. Mostly Staples, Off Max and Off Depot. Some was free, others were a penny or a nickel, or free after rebate. Probably a few items were from FM or RA. I’m fortunate to live near all of those stores.
Thanks for this info! I wish we had a staples closer. Nice job! I have many years of still needing supplies for our kids.
Walgreens have had some decent deals this year. I don’t shop there much, but their back to school sales are generally better than the rest. The annoying thing is they don’t put it all on sale at once so you have to keep going back for a few weeks.
Good Job Howard!!!
Yay for Howard!!
Way to go Howard!!!!
You da man, Howard!
Thanks Howard!
That is a heartwarming story!!!! Thank you Howard and Dina both, for what you are doing for those students!!!
So awesome! We live in Woodburn and I would be happy to help you assemble and/or distribute supply packets. If you’ve got it covered, then that’s fine, but I’m willing to give some time if that would help. 🙂
If you know of students in need, in other schools in our district, please contact me…dmoritz@woodburnsd.org
I’d love to help others…
Thank you for your willingness to help…I will definitely let you know…
Sounds good. I’ll e-mail you my contact info. 🙂
What a great act of kindness!
Schoolhouse Supplies website can be found at http://www.schoolhousesupplies.org/
I want to make sure that everyone here knows about Schoolhouse Supplies located here in Portland on the campus of Madison High School. It is a free store for teachers to shop. I believe all PPS teachers get to shop multiple times per year for school supplies for their classroom but teachers from other districts, private and home schools can donate volunteer time (as few as 3 hours if worked by the teacher and 4 hours if worked by someone on behalf of a teacher, I believe) to earn a free shopping trip. Each shop day has differing items available (paper, notebooks, pens, pencils, erasers, markers, art supplies, glue, etc.) but the average shopping trip is said to be worth over $250!
http://www.schoolhousesupplies.org/
Nice job!
Way to go Howard!! I’ve got a school supply box started for my granddaughters school, but no where near this much stuff!
Howard rocks!!
Thanks Howard and Dina. As a former ESL student I thank you Howard a lot. I know how can be hard for these students. I was lucky that a had someone here but a lot of them are here without anybody. Thank you thank you
Way to go Howard!
Howard is, and continues to be one of the best contributors to this blog. Evidence right here. Way to go Howard! You bring great deals and selfless acts on a weekly basis. Thanks for what you do! Oooh, and you are rather funny. Its like getting that 20% bonus bottle with your shampoo purchase that made you. 50c a bottle already!
If there was a like button I would press it many times. 🙂
That’s awesome!