TAMPA, Fla — Shopping for school supplies is a yearly ritual some families have come to love or loathe as the admission price continues to increase.
According to the National Retail Federation, families are paying an average of $875 per household this year. In 2007, families were paying $563.
Back-to-school funds were relatively cheap in 2009 when the non-profit Hands Across the Bay was founded.
"We spent about $5,000 and took care of all of our families," Julie Weintraub, president and founder of Hands Across the Bay. "Now, we're spending $20,000 to get the same amount that we did then. So, it has quadrupled the price of getting the items we do to ensure we take care of all our Hands Across the Bay families and some other folks in our community."
Weintraub is also the COO of the Gold and Diamond Source, one of the country's largest family-owned jewelers. She is now using her position in the community to help others, ensuring every dollar goes to a family in need.
"I direct it right to that family. I'll take care of all the admin costs. I'm doing well, so I'll take care of that. And I will directly get those funds to whatever family they choose," Weintraub said. "I'm not going to shave off, you know, 20% of it, or 50% of it, and give them a little bit. I will pay for the team to do that for you."
Weintraub's team is dedicated to serving their community. Their backpack drive is just one small part of what they do. It's also a refuge for survivors of domestic violence and children with terminal illnesses, along with shelves stocked with clothes, baby products, toothpaste, deodorant and psychologists to help with mental illness and stress.
"This is my 11th year working for Hands Across the Bay. I volunteered the year before that. I actually am a family that was helped by Hands Across the Bay Crosby. I'm a survivor myself," executive director Melissa Dohme Hill said.
"You think, okay, we're going back to school, we need our backpack. But when you look at the list of needs that schools are requesting from children right now, they can go up to several hundred dollars. For what they're asking for each child, backpacks, binders, notebooks, folders, and a simple binder that used to be $1.50 is now $5, $6, $7 or more," she added."
A couple of years ago, the nonprofit needed only $5,000 for backpacks, but now it's $20,000. Dohme Hill even believes that this year, it'll be higher than that.
"I do think it's going to be higher this year. This is our 10th annual Back to School program. And that $5,000 sponsorship would leave us with extra money to purchase school supplies for teachers. Last year, when we were reviewing our budget, we spent over $20,000 for the same 250 backpacks and teacher blessing boxes. This year, we will spend more because we have a 300 minimum goal for backpacks and additional teacher boxes as well."
The community's need is great. Dohme Hill said that without community support, parents will have to make a choice.
"So that family is already living paycheck to paycheck, just basically making it. At school time, parents will have to choose: do I buy my child something new for school or do I pay my electric bill this month?" she said. "We want to help families instead of falling through the cracks; we help them over that hurdle because things are so expensive. We feel a child should not go without, or be bullied or be embarrassed because their parents cannot get those new things for them."
Hands Across the Bay is not alone in its work to get kids the educational tools and supplies they need. You can also check out the following: