Schoolhouse Supplies Helps Thousands of Local Kids Start School in Style

Team Target takes the prize for youngest volunteer

Portland, September 3rd, 2013. Backpacks filled with school supplies were delivered to nearly 13,000 children across the Portland area. Hundreds of Schoolhouse Supplies sponsors and community partners volunteered to pack the bags at the annual “Pack-a-Palooza.” (Photo credit, Andie Petkus.)

One giveaway event for donated school supplies was the sixth annual “March to Beach” with Knowledge Universe. Ted Wheeler and a fire truck from Portland Fire & Rescue joined in the celebration.

The Schoolhouse Supplies Tools for Schools program provides backpacks full of supplies to 25 area schools where 65% or more of the student population live at or below the poverty line. The program pairs community business sponsors with each school. The businesses also have the honor of handing out their donations to happy kids.

Part of the fun includes the summer Pack-a-Palooza where sponsors compete against other sponsors to see who can pack the fastest.

This year, the fastest time was 1.89 seconds per backpack. It was a tie between two groups: Chase & Ideba Marketing and Comcast.

Executive Director, Jen Barth (center) thanked the teams for their hard work and helping kids start school on the right foot.

From Schoolhouse Supplies:

We were founded in 1999 as a way to support students and teachers throughout Portland Public Schools. We operate Oregon’s first and only volunteer-run Free Store to provide teachers with the classroom supplies needed to encourage the learning process for all students. Today, we are a nationally recognized leader in the Free Store movement, which creates direct links between students and members of the community.

Elisa Klein

I’ve been a professional journalist and writer since 1987, (and long-time reporter for KOIN-TV.) As a nationally published reporter, with a Master’s Degree in Journalism, I love to report positive news and information. Journalism has also connected me with another non-profit where I served as a leader; the Northwest’s biggest writer’s organization: The Willamette Writers.