FAQ
We are grateful that other churches and organizations have begun school store programs. On this page we will try to give some tips on how to get started with one of your own.
Why do you do it?
As a church we know that God has blessed us. This is a small way we can return those blessings.
Does it really make a difference?
There are many problems in our cities, we sometimes wonder if giving away school supplies really matters or makes a difference. As a church and as individuals there are other ministries and things we can and should do. We can volunteer our time and give our money and resources to other causes but sometimes they don't always succeed. The Bible says the poor will always be with us. However this ministry, in the simple goal of providing children with school supplies is one of the few that can fully meet the need. We can make sure the children who come to the School Store have what they need on the first day of school.
How could we start a school store?
There are a couple tips that we give to organizations who want to do this. First, decide who you want to serve. Is there a school near your location or an apartment complex or neighborhood? If so, find out how many children are there and what grades. Then ask the school(s) what kids need. Most will have supply lists broken down by grade. You can then decide, based on need, physical location and budget how many children and the grades you can serve. Once you decide this, you have a supply list in hand that will apply to the children you want to serve.
You may decide to target one school, that has 400 children. You then can buy supplies based on what they need or have your members buy and bring them in. With the school supply list you can hand out a shopping list to your members of the items they should buy. Be specific as to the item, brand and quantity. We now buy supplies by the truck load from wholesale companies but you can be just as effective having your members go to Target, Staples or Wal Mart, buy the items and bring them in.
How do you distribute the supplies?
We use our gym and setup tables in a circle. We put the supplies on the table with a sign and then the children, with a shopping bag walk around the tables to pick up their supplies. We have volunteers at each table to hand out the items. Some items go to all children and some only to certain grades.
How do you know who gets what items?
When the children and adults arrive we have them go to a registration area. Here a volunteer fills out a registration form (attached) to determine the age and school of the children. We also let them know of some of the programs we have for children at our church. The volunteer then fills out a supply form (attached) that the adult takes to the gym so they can get their supplies. At the door to the gym each child is given a shopping bag then as they go around the store the volunteers at each table know the grades of the children and if their table has something for that grade they put it in the shopping bag.
How do we know how many children will come?
This is one reason to target a specific group. You won't have 100% of them come. The first year you would be doing good to have 20%. But as word of your program spreads you will be able to serve more children. You can expect to double the number who come in years 2 and 3.
How do you know how many items you need for each grade.
Send us an email via the Contact Page and we can send you a list with percentages by grade. We have used it for many years at our store and others and it seems to be a reliable tool.
You will also have kids come who aren't in the grades you may want to target. We try to have items available for older grades even though we only advertise our store for K-6.
What happens if you run out of supplies?
If this happens it means you have served a lot of children, be grateful for that. People will understand and the community will appreciate what you have done.
How do you get people to volunteer to help?
For our members this is often their first experience with inner city ministry. Holding it at your own building on a Saturday gives more of them an opportunity to do it. After a school store experience many of your members will be interested in finding other ways to serve children! It will be as much a blessing to you and your members as it is to the children you serve.
What other things do you do as part of this ministry?
For the last 5 years we have held a Health Fair on the same day. We now have 1500-2000 children served at it. They receive dental exams and cleaning, school physicals and immunizations, eye exams and many other services. We have found the medical community is very open to this work and volunteer their time, materials and equipment. We have 10-15 other community service agencies come to give out information on how families can benefit from their services.
We invite the children who come to our School Store to other activities during the year, we mail them cards to invite them to holiday parties, VBS and other special events.
We ask members to pray for the children. We assign them a child or family and provide the age, address and school so they can pray for them by name each week.
How can I get more information?
Send us an email from the Contact Us page with your questions.