SERVICE LEAGUE OUTFITS KIDS FOR SCHOOL YEAR

Green Bay Press-Gazette (WI) - August 14, 2008 Author: Green Bay Press-Gazette, Sarah Kloepping

More than 3,000 kids who might not be able to afford new school supplies received them for free Wednesday.

The 16th annual Service League of Green Bay's Back-to-School Store at Franklin Middle School provided kids with everything they'd need for a new school year, including new clothes and dental and vision exams.

More than 600 kids in the Green Bay School District are considered homeless, and many more families can't afford to buy school necessities, said Matt Weller, principal of Franklin Middle School.

"It's easy with a job and a roof over your head to forget how many families are struggling," Weller said. "But when you see the quality of donations and the hard work of the Service League volunteers, it's well matched by the smiles on these kids' faces."

With the help of agencies such as the Boys & Girls Club of Green Bay, 1,600 kids from kindergarten to fifth grade were chosen to receive a new outfit, a backpack with school supplies, dental and vision screenings, a grooming kit, a storybook and a haircut voucher. Backpacks filled with school supplies and a grooming kit were provided to 1,500 students in sixth through eighth grades.

"This gives (kids) the thrill of having brand new stuff to start a new school year," said Randi Fay, spokeswoman for the store.

Greg Maass, superintendent of the Green Bay School District, said the event provides 1,600 students the opportunity to walk into school with more confidence.

"I remember as a child, getting a new pair of tennis shoes every year," Maass said. "So walking in (to the store) and seeing all those tennis shoes took me right back to significance of that as a young person."

Students were led through the store by one of about 600 volunteers, who helped to make sure clothes fit properly and were appropriate, Fay said.

Kindergartners through fifth-graders "are able to pick out their own clothes and their own crayons, so the experience is not dissimilar to a child who is going with a parent and able to afford and purchase those things," she said. "We try to mimic that as much as possible so they have that experience and dignity of making their own choices."

While kids were preparing for school, parents had a chance to learn about the essentials, including good nutrition, to help their children succeed in school.