Help A School In Need – Put Outgrown Clothes To Good Use And Shop @Schoola

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You may or may not know this but I am currently the President of my youngest son’s school PTO. It’s my second year. To say that getting parents to participate is, sadly, an understatement. But there are a few occasions where we can count on lots of people doing what they can to support. One of those occasions is the night where all of the art that the students have created is put on display for the parents and family members to come and see.
To some an art show at a child’s school wouldn’t seem like a big deal. To students it’s a big deal. And for the students at my son’s school, it’s an enormous deal. You see, my son attends a completely contained school whose population consists of students with different disabilities. For a good sized portion of those students, art is one of the only ways they can communicate with others, as they have limited verbal capabilities.
I have been a member of the PTO for years. Raising money is one of our two biggest challenges, the other being participation. I guess in the end the two go hand in hand. We’ve tried many different things to raise money including an annual 5k, gift auctions, handbag bingo and more. Some of the funds we have raised is used for technology, to help our students. Some of it is for the art department.
I can’t imagine my son’s school without its art program. It is so beneficial for everyone. I can’t conceive of what it would be like to not have art like you see hanging on my fridge. I can’t imagine what it would be like to not have that art program in place. That is something that Yick Wo Elementary in San Francisco, CA faces right at this moment.

Art can be one of the most important parts of a young student’s life. It teaches kids that it’s okay to be creative and take risks at school—not just in the art room, but in math, languages, and every other subject they study. The educational benefits of an art program are well known, but it’s still not covered by most public school budgets. The parents at Yick Wo Elementary make sure that their school’s students have art class anyway, and Schoola is forming a community to help them do it.
Schoola is a program that has the potential to change that. Schoola uses something all parents have to raise money for schools – outgrown children’s clothing. How many times have you gathered up all of the clothes that your child has outgrown and donated them to Salvation Army or something similar? I have done that many, many times over the years. In recent years I’ve donated the outgrown clothing to a local community thrift store.
I think it’s important to try and give back to the community. It’s part of why I started giving the outgrown clothing to the thrift store. I founded a nonprofit, it is the only Down syndrome support group of its kind within our county. I know how strong the desire to make a difference is, and that that very desire is often as strong as the difficulty to raise enough money to make that difference.
The goal for Yick Wo Elementary is to raise $25,000 to fund an art program. Here’s how that can happen.
Parents. Request a Schoola bag. Fill it with outgrown clothes and drop it in the mail. Schoola covers the postage. People all around the country then buy childrens clothes at dramatically-discounted prices at Schoola. Forty percent (40%)  of proceeds from each sale are donated to the school, helping to keep and expand important programs such as art and music programs.
This program is a win-win for all. Schools benefit. If you request a bag right now, Schoola will donate $1 towards Yick Wo’s goal. That’s right. Just by requesting a bag you will help Yick Wo Elementary. It won’t cost you a cent. How can you say no to that! Plus, when you get that bag and donate clothes and fill out your schools information, $2 of every $5 made will go back to the school you choose to support. Win/win for everyone!

I don’t want to imagine my kitchen without all of it’s art. I hope that Yick Wo can continue to have an art program, for the sake of the children and their families. I have always believed that one person can make a difference. Let’s all make a difference together today. It will help Yick Wo and the school of your choice and just be a good thing to do.

What do you do with your child’s outgrown clothing?

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