Our office sits right across the street from an elementary school in the Puyallup School District. Every fall we watch as the activity picks up in the late part of August and the beginning of September. First the office staff and then the teacher cars start to fill the parking lot. Finally the big yellow buses come with all the bright eyed children.
I remember the smell of erasers and the feeling that I was part of a group bigger than my family. Making friends and seeing all the kids on the playground was a highlight. Things have changed since I was in school. Chalkboards are a thing of the past. The elementary school students are working on computers. The only school supply I was asked to bring as an elementary student was a pencil box to keep my desk organized. Not the case these days.
Imagine that your family isn’t able to provide the pencil box or the list of items the school is asking families to buy. No new pencils, paper or backpack. How do you explain that to your new friends?
This year with all the bad news and wah wah wah of the world, we decided that charity needs to begin at home and in our neighborhoods. Many of us are moms or grandmothers. We’re watching our kids get excited about going back to friends and the routine of school. We are grateful for the opportunity to serve our clients, and quite frankly, to have a job with a regular paycheck. Each staff member at Association Services donated $25 to wear jeans for the month of August. The money was matched by the company and we were able, with great shoppers, to fill 12 backpacks full of the required supplies for the older kids at the school right across the street.
Thank you to our clients. Thank you to our generous staff with big hearts and open arms. We are honored to work with you.
