| Back 2 School
Children's Restoration Network's Annual Back 2 School Program for homeless children provides children in shelters and group homes with NEW bookbags and all necessary school supplies. WSB-TV is a major Partner in our Back 2 School program. This year all metro Atlanta Kroger Supermarkets, a Family 2 Family Sponsor will be serving as collection sites for the Public to drop off NEW bookbags and school supplies. Kroger Stores will serve as collection sites from July 19th thru August 4th. WSB will once again produce and air a Public Service Announcement promoting the Campaign. We are pleased that Bank of America Banks will also be serving as collection sites for school supplies. The reality of life in metro-Atlanta for more than 3,500 children is that they will be living in a shelter or group home sometime during the 2008/2009 school year. By the time a child arrives in that shelter or group home, school grades are typically in a downward spiral. The perception some of these kids have about school, life, and themselves is very bleak. There is no doubt; that many children have good reason to think that. Our job is to provide hope, to reinforce their self confidence, provide them the tools needed to succeed, build their self esteem, mentor them, listen to them, embrace them in a way that they come to realize in their own minds, that things can and will get better. Helping them understand their choices and attitudes toward school will empower them to have a better life. We must make sure they realize that a major key to breaking the cycle of homelessness is first and foremost getting that basic education to build on.
Welcome to Back 2 School 2007 Bank of America -Awesome New book bag & smiles
Book bag smiles Let's make a necklace!
Drawing blood -- ouch Blood pressure check No cavities --ALL RIGHT!
Most of these children arrive in the shelter or group home with little more than a bag of clothes. They have no means of acquiring a new book bag or the supplies to fill it, which adds to the stress of starting in a new school, with unfamiliar teachers and students. We need a lot of help this year to reach our goal for this year's collection: 3,900 new book bags and all of the supplies needed to fill them.
Book bag bucket brigade Butterfly face Blood pressure machine - neat!
Dessert line crew Face painting table Smiling kitchen crew
The collection at Kroger Stores begins July 19th and ends August 4th. We will be collecting new bookbags and school supplies at all metro Atlanta area Kroger Supermarkets.
E, C, H, O, L, A, L, m, g... Sound machine These guys were everywhere!
Jim & Cliff with BOA's Shirley Mitchell Over 1,000 hungry mouths to feed
UCB crew members Sno cone on a hot day Jesse, Jim, & Clifff
Physicals at B2S Taking bookbags off the UPS truck .....and into My Sister's House
Supplies needed include:
NEW BOOKBAGS, wide and college ruled notebook paper, spiral notebooks, 3 ring binders, pens, calculators, markers, scissors, rulers, crayons, file folders, glue, dictionaries, and other supplies necessary for school. Volunteers will also be needed August 8th and August 9th to sort and stuff the bookbags with school supplies. CHECK BACK HERE FOR LOCATION WHERE WE WILL BE SORTING THE SUPPLIES AND STUFFING THE BOOKBAGS. Businesses, churches, clubs, individuals, and schools are encouraged to hold drives at their location. Promotional supplies can be obtained from CRN. For more information or questions on you can help the collection or volunteer to serve please call 770 649-7117.
How you can help:
- Conduct a new book bag and school supply drive at your office, church, neighborhood, civic/social club, or just ask your friends to help. We can provide flyers and collection boxes.
- Serve as a site coordinator at a "drop off" site around metro-Atlanta. This entails periodically dropping by a collection site and making sure the box is not running over and is in good order. Call us to find out which locations are near you.
- You could have a Bake Sale or other fun event to raise money to help cover the cost of the program.
- Volunteers will also be needed the week before August 4th to sort and stuff the bookbags with school supplies. This will be done at a storefront in Roswell.
- Businesses, churches, clubs, individuals, and schools are encouraged to hold drives at their location. Promotional supplies can be obtained from CRN.
  
A big pile of bookbags Good Phellaz Haircuts 2 UPS trucks loaded with bookbags
For more information or questions on you can help the collection or volunteer to serve please call 770 649-7117.
Thank you one and all for enabling Children's Restoration Network to hold such a successful program for the past 12 years! It truly has made a difference!!!
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