Back to School! (Project #10)

It is that time of year already.  It seems like the last school year just ended and we are now thinking about the upcoming year.  Summer goes by so fast!

As you can guess, collecting school supplies to donate is a very big deal to us!  This has been the one project we come back to yearly, and we are again asking for your help to get as many children as possible ready to start the school year.

In years past your donations have gone to the children at The Quality of Life Center and Community Shelter Services.  We have not determined the donation site for this years collection, but we know that no matter what, items will end up in the hands of the families that need them the most.

While you are shopping for the things your children need for their school lists, please pick up a few extra items. The things that are always the most needed are:

Backpacks
Notebooks
Folders
Binders
Crayons
Markers
Scissors
PENCILS, PENCILS, PENCILS!

We are happy to meet you to pick up anything you may have purchased, but we always set up a couple days where you can drop things off to us,  The first of these dates is Wednesday, August 5th. We will be at Frontier Park from 5-7, right across from Romolos.

You have helped so many kids and their parents the past 3 years, we are so excited to see what happens this year,  Thank you for always being willing to reach out to those in the community who need a hand!

Project #9 - Warmth in the Winter

The overflow shelters, specifically The Upper Room and The Warming Center, of Erie help to house the homeless during the cold winter months. The regular shelters fill up quickly and that leaves an overwhelming amount of people with no where to stay. Having no place to call home is awful enough, but during the bitter cold months of winter, it must be unbearable.

The shelters in Erie do their best to distribute cold weather gear, but they depend on the generous donations of the community. 

They need coats, sweaters, sweatshirts, underwear, socks, hand warmers (which can be purchased in the dollar bins at target and for a dollar at Dick's Sporting Goods), jeans, shoes, boots, and book bags. A good number that have to leave the shelters during the day do so with plastic bags to carry their things. A bag to carry their belongings would make it so much easier. 

If you could take a minute or two and go through your closets, it would make a world of difference to someone who is literally left out in the cold.  (We would like new underwear and socks are requested!)

We were informed that they get a great deal of "little" gentleman. These guys do not eat well and are very small, so keep them in mind while donating.

We will set up some dates and times for drop off and as always will come to you for any donations. 

Help us to give a little warmth during the cold months ahead of us.

Quality of Life Learning Center - School Supplies Delivered!!!

These words are from Katie Morton, our friend and contact at the Quality of Life Learning Center. She will be the helping to get your donations into the hands of the children who can use them the most.

""We would truly like to thank everyone who donated to the school supply drive. It was absolutely incredible. For our students, its not just a new backpack. It's a new start to the year, a self-esteem booster, and a way to prevent bullying.  

Unfortunately, our students are often targeted for bullying because they come from a different country and come from low-income households. Having new school supplies means they stick out less and are less of a target in school. Every child deserves a quality education, and you are helping our students receive one.THANK-YOU."

Here is what YOU made happen!

42 children will receive a new backpack.

70+ notebooks and 115 folders will soon be filled by students' work.

And piles of crayons, pencils, paper and pens for the kids to use at the after-school program.

You all amaze us every time. 

Thank you for answering when we find a group that could use a hand.

Thank you for brightening the school year of children you have not met.  

Thank you for realizing that a small gesture can make a HUGE difference.

  

Project #8 - Bookbags, Notebooks, & Uniforms, Oh My!

Our last project introduced you to the Quality of Life Center.  We are so excited to be working with and for the children there for this project as well.

We have some BIG goals for this project and we know that with all of you on board we can make great things happen for these kids!

The Quality of Life Center is a neighborhood center based in one of Erie's highest poverty areas. The children of the neighborhood go there for lunch and fun and educational programs during the summer. During the school year they come after school for help with homework and a for positive environment to hang out for the afternoon.

Most of these children are "New Americans", part of refugee and immigrant families. They have a lot of challenges just being new to our country. We would like help these children start their school year with the supplies they need.

The numbers given to us by Katie Morton, an amazing AmeriCorps VISTA and our contact at the Quality of Life Center, are as follows: 62 elementary students, 26 middle school students,  and 20 high school students.

And this leads us to our big goals!!

We would like to provide a new bookbags, uniforms, notebooks, folders, and binders to every single student.

And here is the shopping list to make that happen:

108 bookbags (backpacks and large tote bags)
540 folders (5 per student)
540 notebooks (5 per student)
40 binders (2 per each high school student)
School Uniforms in every size.
    Navy and khaki pants
    Polo shirts in red, white, navy, green, and yellow
    Lots of socks

These are things our children take for granted being able to have each school year. The children at the Quality of Life Center aren't able to count on that. It would mean the world to these families to have help getting their children started with the supplies they need.

As always you can contact us directly through Facebook or our email to pick up items, and we will announce drop off dates soon.

Best Soul Purpose Delivery EVER!

Check out all the toys you gave to the children at the Quality of Life Center!

To say that you made their day is an understatement. 

I am going to just let a few photos speak for themselves.

This is what happened about 30 seconds after the kids were given the goods!

Jumping for joy.

Soccer game started...

Jumping rope...

Playing catch...

                           

How amazing that together we were able to brighten the summer of a group of children.  

Thank you for helping us do that. Soul Purpose has the best people behind it - all of you!

Summer Goodies

We wanted to share photos of some of the donations we have received from you!

We have a drop off date scheduled 

and are super excited to see what you have in store

for the Quality of Life Center's kids.

Project # 7 - Summer Fun

Do you remember the fun of waking up in the summer as a kid?

No school. Riding bikes. Playing ball. Jump rope rhymes.  Sidewalk chalk games.

Our goal for Project #7 is to help The Urban Erie Community Development Corp (UECDC) provide a summer filled with these memories to the children who attend their summer programs.

UECDC provides free quality educational and employment programs which include English as a Second Language and G.E.D. classes, workforce development training, and an after-school program for area kids. The majority of those they serve are immigrants and refugees, those who are struggling with low income and finding their way in a new country.

A little bit from the UECDC website:

"At the UECDC we believe that providing a quality education and opportunities for employment are some of the most effective ways to combat poverty and crime within the Erie community. 

We like to refer to our after-school program as our "mini United Nations." With students represented from Somalia, Sudan, Iraq, Eritrea, the Congo, Liberia, Tanzania, Kenya, and Bhutan, it is easily the most diverse after-school program in Erie. Our center attracts between 70-90 students on a daily basis for after-school programming..."  

We would like to replenish the summer equipment that is used by the kids in the summer programs.  They are in need of EVERYTHING.  We would love to provide bikes (how many of us have outgrown and unused ones in our garages?), balls for every sport, jump ropes, sidewalk chalk, and bubbles. 

We will announce collection dates in the next week or so. We would love second hand bikes, but ask for all the other equipment to be new. 

Katie Morton, our contact at UECDC, is very excited for our help to make the summer great for their kids. We are, too!