Back to School Giveback Ideas

The back-to-school rush is a fun and exciting time for many families. However, it’s important to remember that it’s not necessarily exciting for ALL families. Between buying new clothes and supplies, budgeting for lunches, purchasing sports or music equipment, etc., this time of year can be very financially burdensome. Keep these empathy-driven ideas in mind to help the less fortunate kiddos in your community: 

Donate outgrown clothing

They say children grow like weeds. Is this true for your youngsters? If so, there’s likely some clothing in the house that will never be worn again. Simply give them a quick wash, bag them up, and drop them off at the nearest second-hand store, children’s shelter, school office, or any organization that provides to underserved youth. 

Organize the pantry & donate extra goods

Most families have at least one picky eater, so some foods in the house inevitably aren’t used. Don’t let it go to waste! Instead, rally the kids and create a fun experience out of cleaning the pantry. If there are any duplicate food items, or any items on the brink of expiration that you might not cook in time, just toss them in a box and transport them to your local food pantry. 

Put old sports equipment and/or instruments to good use 

Oftentimes children outgrow hobbies and interests. If you have sports equipment or instruments collecting dust in storage, you might as well put them to good use! Start by calling local schools to see if they have a need for this type of donation. Chances are they do, since coaches and music teachers tend to accept all the help they can get. If there’s not a need at the local schools, consider donating the items to a local pawn shop. After all, one child’s “trash” is another child’s “treasure”!

“Pay it forward” by funding another child’s hair cut

Haircuts are usually one of the fun parts of preparing for the new school year, but for families on a tight budget, it’s just one more burden. Help lighten that burden my paying for another child’s haircut when taking your kids for theirs. If there are no other kids in the salon at the time, just ask the desk attendant for their suggestion; it could be as easy as leaving cash at the front in order to pay it forward for the next kiddo that walks in!

These small efforts on your end could be absolutely life-changing for a family in your own community. Even better, involving your youngsters in giving back is a great way to ensure they’ll grow up to be humble, empathetic, and noble humans! Connect with other community members that love to give back and community organizations who will gladly take your donations by signing up for a FREE social membership on GetAssist! With it, you can #ConnectWithPurpose and #ChangeLives.