The first day of school will be a little brighter for hundreds of children who will receive school supplies from the Tools for School program, started by two Wilton families in 2008. Since then, they have collected new and gently-used school supplies to distribute to needy children.
“We are seeking donations of any and all school supplies,” said Amanda Lord, one of the program’s coordinators. “Many children carry their books in plastic bags and don’t even have colored pencils or crayons with which to draw. They often rely on generous teachers to provide necessary school supplies,” she said.
The families who are organizing the drive are asking Wilton residents to keep the program in mind when cleaning out a child’s backpack from last year, or shopping for new school supplies. They hope people will consider donating gently used items or purchasing an extra box of pencils or a notebook to donate.
Other items they hope to collect and donate include: backpacks, pens, pencils, spiral/composition notebooks, 1-inch or 2-inch binders, colored pencils, or crayons. Donations will be distributed to children via the Family & Children’s Agency, the Marvin School and Norwalk Department of Social Services.
A drop off bin will be located at the entrance of the Wilton Children’s Library from now through Aug. 24. For more information contact Amanda Lord via email.