Louisville, KY (WDRB) -- It's back to school time, but several families can't afford school supplies.
With the economy, the Boys and Girls Clubs of Kentuckiana is seeing an increased need. Now, it's hoping the community will step up and donate supplies for needy children.
At the club on Friday, children played an action-packed game of basketball. Students are enjoying the summer playing hoops and games on the computer. With about four and half weeks until school starts, these kids say they need certain items to get ready for back to school.
7-year-old Tanya Cater says she needs, "Crayons, folders, notebooks, pencils."
11-year-old Devin Lee says, "Basically, it's going to be a new thing for me because I'm going to be going to middle school and I'm going to be all new. I get to have a locker, going to be all different, actually looking forward to it."
To help students like Devin Lee, the University of Phoenix Louisville Campus has partnered with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Kentuckiana. They're collecting school supplies and need backpacks, index cards, notebook paper, and the list goes on.
Scot Mall, the University of Phoenix Louisville Campus Director says, "It's crucial that every year we ask the community to try and pitch in particularly for kids in need to support their academic achievement."
Jennifer Helgeson with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Kentuckiana, says, "It's a help to be a start as complete as we can get it. We would love to give them everything they need. We would love to have additional supplies throughout the year. A lot of our kids not only need them for the start of school, but they run out just as all of our kids do and they need extra supplies."
The school supplies drive runs from Monday through August 6th and the boys and girls clubs are hoping to help 3000 kids this year. The organization says Walgreens and Humana are also helping them out.
Helgeson says, "We've got four organizations that have contacted us currently. Metro United Way has also posted on their site, so if anyone wants to donate different supplies and things."
You can drop off the supplies at a number of places including the University of Phoenix Louisville campus and all the Boys and Girls Clubs locations.
In the meantime, kids are enjoying their time off making masterpieces in the art studio before they have to hit the books once again.
Lee says, "We just have fun and make lots of friends and sit back and have fun."
For more information, you can click on this link:
http://www.bgckyana.org/backtoschooldrive.aspx
