PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- Decessca Davis walks by the North Philadelphia office of the non-profit organization One Day at a Time (ODAAT) and is quick to point out that stacks of boxes are not a regular occurrence.
"There's a lot going on here. This is not what the office normally looks like," he says.
But the heaps of objects are messy in a good way. ODAAT buys school supplies to deliver to the community.
"The backpacks are filled with a lot of items," said Davis, case manager at the organization.
"We have school uniforms to give away this year," he said, adding that the organization also offers after-school snacks for children.
Backpacks and school supplies will be distributed at an event organized by ODAAT on Saturday 20th August.
The event was the brainchild of ODAAT President Mel Wells, who wished to celebrate his birthday by hosting the raffle. There will also be a children's carnival and a distribution of household items including laundry detergent, cleaning products and diapers.
The Gift and Family Festival will be held May 12-6 at the Winchester Rec Center in North Philadelphia.
One Day at a Time has been serving the community for nearly 40 years, but this year they are seeing more families in need of help.
"First, the grocery store is crazy, isn't it?" said Davis. "Some of their parents are too expensive for certain things."
Rising prices have increased the need for school supplies gifts, but even parents who can afford school supplies are looking for an offer.
NerdWallet's Sara Rathner says school shopping should start at home.
"Before you set foot in a store or go online, take stock of what you have at home," Rathner said.
What you don't have, another parent might have, so consider trading in new or slightly used school supplies.
And if you go shopping, you know weekends can be tough.
"Shops are busier on the weekends," Rathner said. "It can lead to a more stressful shopping experience and lots of empty shelves."
Such a situation makes shopping during the week more attractive. In some cases, it can also increase your chances of finding items on sale before the crowds take them all away.
"You can use a site like Flipp," Rathner said. "You can search by zip code and see what's on sale near you this week."
For the little things, don't skip the dollar stores.
"Building paper, markers, things like that," Rathner said of good dollar store shopping, adding that some discount stores also have school supplies.
If the school and home list is too long, organizations like ODAAT can help. ODAAT often relies on the help of donations and volunteers, both options described on the organization's website https://odaat-philly.org/ .
Her hope for the upcoming drawing is to prepare families and children for a successful school year.
"We help everyone," Davis said.
Copyright © 2022 WPVI-TV. All rights reserved.
Aucun commentaire:
Enregistrer un commentaire