New pens and pencils might not seem like a luxury to everyone, but for struggling families, it can be the difference in a successful start to the school year.
"They say, for a family, it’s over $800 for them to be able to do the back-to-school shopping of clothes and school supplies and those types of things to get their kids ready for school. For low-income families, that’s not a reality they can do," says Major Rio Ray of The Salvation Army in Bozeman.
Ray has spent more than 20 years in service to The Salvation Army, serving in five different states.
WATCH: Bozeman Families Find Hope: Salvation Army Launches Back-to-School Initiative
He shares his memory of growing up low-income, "I remember the brown paper bags from the store, us cutting them so I could do my homework on the brown paper bags."
And so, Ray says, with The Salvation Army’s Tools for School event, he wants to make sure other kids are sent to school with the supplies they need.
"If we can be able to help out in this area and those kids can go back to school with confidence and know that they’re valued and loved and that they can succeed and give them all the tools to do that—then we’ve done a good job," he says.
But don’t just take it from Ray.
“I’m a single mom of three kids, it’s hard once school comes around. Between clothes and shoes, I can barely afford it. Thank you, you’re a great help”, writes one Bozeman parent.
Another one writes, “You can imagine with five in school, school supplies can add up. This helps so much—I can take the money I usually use on school supplies and use it on food and other necessities.”
Those are just a few words of gratitude expressed by parents already registered for August’s Tools for School event.
"But right now, we’re gathering the supplies. We’re gathering the goods, so we can make kids have a great school year here in Bozeman," says Ray.
The nonprofit is looking for backpacks, pencils, notebooks, and other school supplies.
Red bins are placed around Bozeman—at local churches, banks, and even the public library—to donate items.
Information to register as a Tools for School family or volunteer can be found on the website.
"Our goal is to serve 300 kids this year. And so that’s a wonderful goal and if we can get 300 kids set up right here in Bozeman and our county, set up to succeed, then we’ve done good," says Ray.
