Opinion - Whatcom View

POSTED: Saturday, Aug. 15, 2009

Blue Skies offers back-to-school program for children in need

With school just around the corner, families will soon experience the back-to-school rush. The need to purchase school supplies, school clothing, shoes and a warm coat, is on the horizon. Children need to go back to school with clothing that fits properly, that allows them to feel as though they "fit in" with their peers. They need to start the school year with a smile and their heads held high.

As a local non-profit agency that grants Little Wishes for homeless, low-income and foster kids, Blue Skies for Children offers an annual Back-To-School Clothing Voucher Program. Each voucher allows a child in need to go to a local retailer and purchase clothing and/or shoes for school. The program is solely dependent on grants and donations from the community. With the current economic climate, there has been a significant increase in clients and a reduction in donations. This year, grants and donations provided for just 133 vouchers.

Blue Skies opened their doors at 10 a.m. on Monday, Aug. 10 to find a line of people waiting to request appointments for Back-To-School Vouchers. The phone rang off the hook, and appointments were exhausted by 2 p.m., with people continuing to call and walk-in asking for help. Within 24 hours, more than 200 families had contacted Blue Skies. Just 133 children (or 71 families) received appointments for vouchers, with many families being put on a waiting list.

The local community has been wonderfully supportive of Blue Skies but we are reaching out to the community for help. You can help us provide a voucher for a child with a donation of $50. One hundred percent of your support can be designated to serve a child. People can also provide support to Blue Skies in non-financial ways. Items can be donated to our auction, attend our golf or auction fundraisers, sponsor an event, donate office supplies, donate empty ink or toner cartridges, or volunteer.

With summer soon turning to fall, many families take this time to clean out their closets. Why not donate your gently used adult or children's clothing to charity? Blue Skies for Children partners with local stores to consign gently used items. Proceeds are received in the form of check or gift cards which are then distributed to children in need in our community. This is a great opportunity for all of us, regardless of our economic position, to support our local community by making a donation of gently used clothing to Blue Skies for Children.

If you would like to support the Back-to-School program, donate clothing, or have questions, please call Blue Skies for Children at 756-6710. For families in need of help with school supplies, please contact the Opportunity Council at 734-5121 or your local school district.

Julie Guay is executive director of Blue Skies for Children.