Southern Indiana nonprofit helping families save on back-to-school costs

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- The average household spent almost $900 on back-to-school shopping in 2023 and 2024. This year, a southern Indiana organization is helping families avoid breaking the bank.

According to data from the National Retail Federation, households across the country averaged around $890 in back-to-school spending in 2023. In 2024, that dipped to $875.

While there's been a slight decrease, families are still spending a lot of money on school supplies and back-to-school clothes.

"With the price of everything going up, sometimes school supplies are not at the top of the list because kids have to eat, and so sometimes food trumps a box of crayons," Aimee Bowling, program coordinator at Hope Southern Indiana, said.

Bowling is a retired teacher and has seen first-hand how important school supplies are in a classroom.

"When families can't afford it, then their students are a step behind everybody else before the school year even starts," she said. "So it's super important we put supplies in kids' hands."

That's why Bowling and others at Hope Southern Indiana are putting on a "Pack the Bus" school supply drive for students in Floyd County.

Bowling said they already have over 10,000 school supplies that have been donated and are looking to serve around 400 kids this year. They're also creating blessing boxes for teachers in Floyd County.

"Sometimes kids aren't even going to come to events like this, and so we need to get those supplies in teachers' hands so they have those for students who absolutely can't get them," she said.

To find out what the organization needs the most, you can go to Hope Southern Indiana's website by clicking here. Items include marker sets, pencils, crayons and wide-ruled composition books.

Donations can be dropped off at the nonprofit's office at 1200 Bono Rd. in New Albany.

They'll be letting Floyd County students grab supplies July 14 from 12-6:30 p.m. and July 15 from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m.

Listed below are several other school supply drives planned across Kentuckiana:

For a list of various back to school events in Louisville, click here.

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