Fill the bus with school supplies
Christine Gonzales, GPISD Homeless Coordinator, said many times when a family can not afford to buy school supplies, the parents do not send their children to school opening day. Sometimes the children are delayed starting school a week or more until the parents can buy the supplies.
“We want our children in school the first day so they don’t miss out on anything,” Gonzales said.
To help make sure needy children begin school on time, beginning August 1 through August 14, a school bus will be parked in the Wal-Mart Super Center parking lot, 2225 West Interstate, to accept school supplies to be distributed to selected families on August 22 during Tools for School to be held at Inglewood Baptist Church, 1901 South Carrier Parkway. Only families selected through referrals from the GPISD, LifeLine Shelter, NAACP and the Boys and Girls Club are eligible to receive the supplies.
Gonzales said she hopes to have a barber on hand at Tools for School to give haircuts and also have one new clothing outfit to give the children.
Grand Prairie United Charities Executive Director Debra Blubaugh said that not only are school supplies needed, volunteers (individuals or groups) are needed to help out August 1 – 14 at the Fill the Bus and August 22 at the Tools for School.
For more information and to volunteer, call Grand Prairie United Charities at 972-262-2014 or Christine Gonzales, GPISD Homeless Coordinator, at 972-237-5522.
