MADISON, Wis. — The Goodman Community Center is collecting school supplies for 400 families, and hoping to secure more supplies for another 100 on a waitlist.
“This is not for 500 kids; we definitely need more supplies to come in,” said volunteer Melissa Post while looking over a room packed with school supplies.
Post is volunteering with the Goodman facility to help collect and sort through hundreds of school supply donations.
While she does not have school-age children anymore, she said she remembers how stressful the beginning of the school year was.
“I do remember, vividly, trying to get the list that schools request of your child,” said Post. “It often required many trips to different facilities to get what they needed.”
According to a 2022 back-to-school survey done by Deloitte, families are expected to spend an average of $661 on school supplies, per child in grades K-12 this year.
The Goodman Community Center hopes to completely eliminate that cost for many Dane County families.
While the community center expects to meet the needs of 400 families, there are at least 100 families that may not get proper supplies without the help of the community.
“We do have registration where you need to register to pick up your bag and we already have a waitlist, so we are obviously encouraging donations and anything is accepted,” said Post.
If you are in need of school supplies, click here to get added to the school drive waitlist.
To donate supplies you can download the supply list and drop off your donation anytime before the school year begins.
If you live outside of the Madison area but would still like to get involved, click here to make a donation through an Amazon wish list.