Avondale School District Community Donates Hundreds of back-to-school items to support Students
In August 2015, Forbes Magazine reported that teachers spend an average of $490 out of pocket to purchase supplies that their students will need to start the school year. To counter that trend, the non-profit organization, Gift of Giving, held a Back-to-School supply drive that enlisted the help of local businesses and community members in order to provide Avondale School District students with the tools they will need for a successful start to the new school year.
The supplies, suggested by teachers, school counselors and principals, included composition notebooks, binders, crayons, markers, colored pencils, folders, pens, highlighters and much more. The drive garnered several hundred items shared with the students on the first day of school. The generous response from the community was no surprise to event organizer and Avondale parent, Angel Lau, who recognizes the message of support sent to the students through this type of activity. “Our community has always connected and contributed for the sake of helping our kids get what they need in order to succeed in school. When children have caring relationships, positive community role models, and community resources, it helps build their confidence and fosters resilience within them,” she said.
City of Auburn Hills employees support students headed back to school with donations of school supplies
Contributions and support came from subdivision associations including Adams Ridge, Bloomfield Orchards, Cumberland Woods, Forester Creek, Forester Square, High Oaks, Hunt Club and Pine Trace Village as well as businesses such as Argus Logistics, BMK Solutions, DOW Chemical Company in Auburn Hills, Meijer, Zoyo Yogurt in Troy, Audi of America – whose employees stuffed an Audi Q7 full of school supplies, and engineers from FCA who delivered 30 cases of supplies and backpacks to one Avondale School District elementary school. In addition, employees from the Auburn Hills Public Library, City of Auburn Hills, and City of Troy; along with members of the local non-profit group, Beans to Bags Coffee Roasting Company, and members of the group, Calling All Dads, contributed to the effort.
“In the end, more than 1,000 people came together to lend their support,” said Gift of Giving founder Bonnie Kakuda who is also an Avondale Parent. “The drive was truly a grassroots effort,” she said. “We are grateful for the response from our local businesses but it was also the response from the individuals in our community – people who just wanted to help – that made the drive so successful.”
Gift of Giving is a non-profit 501c3 supporting students in the Avondale School District by providing them school supplies, clothing, shoes, nutrition, and other basic needs. The group’s next community outreach supporting District families will be a December Adopt-A-Family program and Holiday Drive. If you are interested in supporting these activities please contact Bonnie Kakuda at info@giftofgiving-mi-org. To learn more about Gift of Giving visit www.giftofgiving-mi.org.
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