OLYMPIA – Debbie Pfeifer choked back a few tears as she watched volunteers fill her son’s new backpack with folders, notebooks, a calculator and other school supplies.
“It’s really helpful, especially right now with the economy,” she said. “It’s really hard.”
Pfeifer, 54, of Olympia, was one of hundreds of people who lined up before dawn Thursday for the Little Red Schoolhouse Project’s clothing and school supply giveaway at Jefferson Middle School in Olympia.
Last year, the organization outfitted 2,874 students for the first day of school, with new backpacks, school supplies, clothing and shoes.
Volunteers were expecting to serve more than 3,000 students during the 10-hour event, according to Judy Kimeldorf, co-chairwoman of the Little Red Schoolhouse Project.
“It’s grown every year by at least a couple of hundred,” Kimeldorf said.
The Little Red Schoolhouse Project collects cash, school supplies and clothing donations year-round; however, most people donate in August when the back-to-school sales begin, Kimeldorf said.
Besides cases of school supplies, the organization collected about $26,000 in cash, which will be used to purchase more school supplies in bulk and pay for operating costs during the year such as storage shed rental.
“The community has always been incredibly generous,” Kimeldorf said.
Many of the coats and other clothing items available to families were rescued from lost-and-found bins in the Olympia, North Thurston and Tumwater school districts. The items were sorted and washed before the event, placed on hangers and organized by size on racks similar to those found in retail stores.
About 200 volunteers helped staff Thursday’s event, including Lakefair princess Amanda Williams, 17, of Olympia.
She said it was fun to watch kids’ reactions to their new backpacks.
But she said it also was humbling to see how many people showed up for help.
“It kind of opened my eyes to just the need we have in Thurston County,” Williams said.
The Little Red Schoolhouse Project was launched 20 years ago when a group of church women wanted to assist teachers who were struggling to help students whose families couldn’t afford school supplies, Kimeldorf said.
As the word spread, more churches and civic groups got involved.
Many of the volunteers are current or former schoolteachers, including Kimeldorf, who taught at Komachin Middle School in Lacey for 13 years.
She said students who have all the tools they need will have an easier time in school.
And a new, fashionable backpack or coat can make a huge difference in a kid’s attitude.
“That’s half the reason kids want to go back to school,” Kimeldorf said.
Lisa Pemberton: 360-754-5433 lpemberton@theolympian.com
