Donations Sought For 17th Year Of CCS 'Tools For School' Program
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By David [email protected]
Since she was 2 years old, Rissa Pitt, now 19, has volunteered with the program. Her mom, Ami Pitt, coordinates the event.
“It’s hard for me to remember being that little,” Rissa Pitt stated. “It’s been a tradition in my life. It and the Christmas giveaway are a highlight of my life.”
She said her homeschool co-op volunteers to help each year. They set up the tables the night before, too.
“They love it. It’s become a highlight of their year, too,” Pitt said.
Tools For School provides school supplies like crayons, glue and backpacks to children who otherwise might not be able to get them because of financial need.
The giveaway date of Tools For School is Aug. 7 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Home & Family Arts Building at the Kosciusko County fairgrounds, according to Peggi Lisenbee-Wright, CCS director of client assistance.
Along with people like Pitt, DARE officers, Fraternal Order of Police, REMC employees and Kohl’s employees will volunteer at the giveaway.
In 2012, she said the program served more than 1,500 Kosciusko County students.
Lisenbee-Wright said, “We are in need of supplies and monetary donations. We’re starting shorter this year than last. Last year we started with a $4,000 donation from an out-of-state company that we’re not getting this year.”
The biggest items CCS needs include three-ring binders, colored markers, colored pencils, two-pocket folders, scissors and rulers.
‘We take school supply lists of all the schools and put them together and come up with a basic supply list,” she said.
Last year, everyone needed flash drives, so it would be great if someone could donate those, she said.
Book bags are for kindergarten to high school students. Kindergarteners get age-appropriate bookbags.
School supplies or monetary donations can be dropped off at CCS until the day of the giveaway; or at the event by calling Ami Pitt at 574-265-4179 or Lisenbee-Wright at 574-269-6019, Ext. 222.
Lisenbee-Wright said many churches and vacation Bible schools have collected supplies for the event, but more are needed.
Meijer of Warsaw is providing a donation and school supplies this year.
CCS also was able to purchase bookbags from Shoe Show in Columbia City at half price for the third year in a row.
At the giveaway, Lisenbee-Wright said what they need from parents is proof that they live in Kosciusko County and that the children they are getting supplies for are their children or in their household. School records can indicate that, she said.
CCS tries not to duplicate services, so if a person got school supplies from another agency, they ask that person not come to the CCS giveaway.
CCS does not hold supplies for anyone.
“We’re doing this for two reasons,” Lisenbee-Wright said. “One is because Jesus said to help people.”
The second reason, she said, is because poverty hurts people, especially the little ones. Providing school supplies helps the children with their dignity and self worth.
Also during the event, Warsaw Community Schools Food & Nutrition Services will provide breakfast.
Fiesta Hair Salon will provide haircuts for the 10th consecutive year.
MDwise, MHS and Community Action of Northeast Indiana also will have a table at Tools for School. MDwise donated 100 backpacks. MDwise is a not-for-profit managed care organization founded in 1994 by the Health and Hospital Corporation of Marion County and Indiana University Health to help vulnerable populations needing health coverage in Indiana. MHS is an insurance company that has been helping Indiana’s Medicaid population for nearly two decades.
CANI is a private, non-profit organization dedicated to removing the causes and conditions of poverty in Northeast Indiana.
CCS hopes to have a church there to share its VBS, children’s ministry and Awana information.
The American Red Cross will be joining the event again this year and donating supplies, collected through Dollar Tree.
CCS’s Project Independence and Hand Up will have a table of information and staff will be available to speak with people during the event.
Zoyo is having a fundraiser for Tools for School Tuesday. Just drop in for a frozen yogurt treat and mention CCS and CCS will get 20 percent of the profits.
Culver’s will be giving away, at the event, free tokens for one scoop of custard.
Lisenbee-Wright thanked the Kosciusko County Fair Board for allowing CCS to use the Home & Family Arts Building.
She said people can check on Tools for School updates and other CCS information by liking its Facebook page, or visiting the website at www.combinedcommunityservices.org[[In-content Ad]]
Since she was 2 years old, Rissa Pitt, now 19, has volunteered with the program. Her mom, Ami Pitt, coordinates the event.
“It’s hard for me to remember being that little,” Rissa Pitt stated. “It’s been a tradition in my life. It and the Christmas giveaway are a highlight of my life.”
She said her homeschool co-op volunteers to help each year. They set up the tables the night before, too.
“They love it. It’s become a highlight of their year, too,” Pitt said.
Tools For School provides school supplies like crayons, glue and backpacks to children who otherwise might not be able to get them because of financial need.
The giveaway date of Tools For School is Aug. 7 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Home & Family Arts Building at the Kosciusko County fairgrounds, according to Peggi Lisenbee-Wright, CCS director of client assistance.
Along with people like Pitt, DARE officers, Fraternal Order of Police, REMC employees and Kohl’s employees will volunteer at the giveaway.
In 2012, she said the program served more than 1,500 Kosciusko County students.
Lisenbee-Wright said, “We are in need of supplies and monetary donations. We’re starting shorter this year than last. Last year we started with a $4,000 donation from an out-of-state company that we’re not getting this year.”
The biggest items CCS needs include three-ring binders, colored markers, colored pencils, two-pocket folders, scissors and rulers.
‘We take school supply lists of all the schools and put them together and come up with a basic supply list,” she said.
Last year, everyone needed flash drives, so it would be great if someone could donate those, she said.
Book bags are for kindergarten to high school students. Kindergarteners get age-appropriate bookbags.
School supplies or monetary donations can be dropped off at CCS until the day of the giveaway; or at the event by calling Ami Pitt at 574-265-4179 or Lisenbee-Wright at 574-269-6019, Ext. 222.
Lisenbee-Wright said many churches and vacation Bible schools have collected supplies for the event, but more are needed.
Meijer of Warsaw is providing a donation and school supplies this year.
CCS also was able to purchase bookbags from Shoe Show in Columbia City at half price for the third year in a row.
At the giveaway, Lisenbee-Wright said what they need from parents is proof that they live in Kosciusko County and that the children they are getting supplies for are their children or in their household. School records can indicate that, she said.
CCS tries not to duplicate services, so if a person got school supplies from another agency, they ask that person not come to the CCS giveaway.
CCS does not hold supplies for anyone.
“We’re doing this for two reasons,” Lisenbee-Wright said. “One is because Jesus said to help people.”
The second reason, she said, is because poverty hurts people, especially the little ones. Providing school supplies helps the children with their dignity and self worth.
Also during the event, Warsaw Community Schools Food & Nutrition Services will provide breakfast.
Fiesta Hair Salon will provide haircuts for the 10th consecutive year.
MDwise, MHS and Community Action of Northeast Indiana also will have a table at Tools for School. MDwise donated 100 backpacks. MDwise is a not-for-profit managed care organization founded in 1994 by the Health and Hospital Corporation of Marion County and Indiana University Health to help vulnerable populations needing health coverage in Indiana. MHS is an insurance company that has been helping Indiana’s Medicaid population for nearly two decades.
CANI is a private, non-profit organization dedicated to removing the causes and conditions of poverty in Northeast Indiana.
CCS hopes to have a church there to share its VBS, children’s ministry and Awana information.
The American Red Cross will be joining the event again this year and donating supplies, collected through Dollar Tree.
CCS’s Project Independence and Hand Up will have a table of information and staff will be available to speak with people during the event.
Zoyo is having a fundraiser for Tools for School Tuesday. Just drop in for a frozen yogurt treat and mention CCS and CCS will get 20 percent of the profits.
Culver’s will be giving away, at the event, free tokens for one scoop of custard.
Lisenbee-Wright thanked the Kosciusko County Fair Board for allowing CCS to use the Home & Family Arts Building.
She said people can check on Tools for School updates and other CCS information by liking its Facebook page, or visiting the website at www.combinedcommunityservices.org[[In-content Ad]]
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