The 2020 school year will look different in Western Washington. Some students will return to their classrooms and others will be educated at home. Regardless of the learning method, as many as 58,000 local students begin the school year without basic school supplies.
This year, Bartell’s 18th annual School Tools supply drive will support families and students wherever they are.
Bartell Drugs, in partnership with local radio station STAR 101.5 and World Vision, has adapted the School Tools program to reflect the changing needs of students and families during the pandemic. Programs, supplies and items normally provided to students at school are now supplies they need at home. To fulfill those needs, items collected during the donation drive will include gloves, masks, hand sanitizer, toiletries, personal care items, nonperishable food, and basic school essentials. With the help of local school counselors, students and families who could benefit from this program are identified and World Vision volunteers deliver food and essentials kits to them directly.
- “Every child deserves an education. Education can lift a child out of poverty and life’s unforeseen circumstances and provide a second chance to reach their full potential. Yet many lack basic supplies critical for learning. Teachers themselves spend an average of $500 out of pocket (many spend much more) to provide their students with necessary items. These supplies can set a student’s education journey into motion by instilling confidence to complete schoolwork, create a sense of pride in ownership, and restore dignity by leveling the playing field among better resourced peers.
In our 18th year of School Tools, this may be the largest need ever experienced. Providing students with the resources to be the most effective to learn at home will look different. World Vision will be distributing donation kits to students across the King, Pierce and Snohomish counties. The items in these kits will include basic school supplies, PPE, personal care items and more. World Vision’s long-term relationships with 174 schools in our communities will allow your donation at Bartell’s to reach the children that need it the most.”
– Michael Gillespie, Sr. Director at World Vision
From August 2nd to 31st, Bartell’s welcomes donations of school supplies and hygiene products to support students in King, Pierce and Snohomish counties. There are three ways to donate: Cash donations are accepted at all neighborhood Bartell Drugs locations. Customers can also purchase select items marked in-store with “School Tools” tags and place them in red donation bins at the front of the stores. Lastly, beginning on August 2nd, monetary donations can be contributed online at www.bartellsschooltools.com.
Items to Donate
School Supplies
- Crayons – 24 count
- Pencils
- Pens
- Markers
- Colored pencils
- Glue sticks
- Glue
- Filler paper
Hygiene
- Personal Protective equipment (PPE)
- Gloves, masks, hand sanitizers
- Menstrual Care Products (tampons/pads)
- Sanitizing wipes
- Soap bars/body wash
- Shampoo and conditioner
- Toothbrush
- Toothpaste
- Deodorant