Friday is the last day to pre-register for guaranteed school supplies from the Bartholomew County School Supply Assistance Program.
Bartholomew County students in grades K-12 are eligible to receive free basic school supplies from the program, a collaboration of local organizations. The program is intended for households experiencing financial need.
Families qualify for assistance based on economic circumstances, medical or other hardship and are screened for eligibility by the United Way 211 staff. There are no specific income requirements for the program, but screening is done to make sure that each family receiving help truly needs it.
Each backpack is filled with about $40 worth of school supplies, matching the school supply lists for Bartholomew Consolidated School Corp. and Flat Rock-Hawcreek School Corp.
Committees formed from members of the organization’s community partners do the work to prepare for the distribution. Those partners include BCSC, Lincoln-Central, Columbus Sunrise Rotary, Community Center of Hope, Council for Youth Development, Cummins, Family Self Sufficiency, Su Casa, United Way 211 and Volunteer Action Center.
Beginning with fundraising and marketing to gain donations at the beginning of the year, the committees then transition into organizational mode, matching up the materials needed for each grade level and how much is needed based on applications.
To pre-register with United Way of Bartholomew County’s 211 service, call 812-375-2216. Preference is given to those who register by Friday.
