Local organization receives school supply donations as part of 7 Circle of Kindness

DAYTON — The Great Backpack Give Back campaign is officially over. Nearly $16,000 in school supplies and more than $1,000 in cash were donated to Crayons To Classroom.

News Center 7′s Xavier Hershovitz took a look at the latest way the WHIO-TV viewers are helping kids in need.

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Nancy Lehren, of Centerville, is in the back, cutting out kits that will go in teachers’ classrooms. Its here assigned duty this time, during her monthly Crayons To Classroom volunteer shift.

“Donations are a huge part of what we do. So, people from the community whio can donate school supplies and help wit that, its wonderful. It’s especially for the underserved children in our community,” Lehren said.

During the 7 Circle of Kindness Great Backpack Give Back one day event in August, nearly $16,000 worth of school supplies were donated.

However, Morris Home and Ashley kept extended the one-day event through the end of August, dropping those donations off today.

Malena Ball with Crayons to Classroom said, “It’s not like we’re getting products that’s sitting in warehouses for years. We have turnover because we have teachers that are coming in each week who are shopping with us.”

Ball said they have more than 100 teachers a week coming through and picking up school supplies for their classrooms.

“We just heard from a teacher who said she spends more than $1,000 each year on her own classroom and that’s an incredible financial burden,” Ball said.

Last school year, donations served more than 50,000 students in the Miami Valley. It’s helping those kids that keeps Lehren coming back to volunteer.

“If we can help kids, we help the next generation and hopefully that helps everyone eventually.” Lehren said.

It’s a mission that extends far beyond back-to-school season as supplies are needed all year long.

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