Southwest Human Development is hosting its sixth annual Back-to-School Supply Drive to help children in need begin the school year with all of the tools they need for academic success. With so many uncertainties about how children will safely return to school and what the classroom will look like, low-income families need your help more than ever.

According to Deloitte, families with children in K-12 are projected to spend $529 per child on back-to-school needs this year, an increase over last year’s spending due to an increased emphasis on technology-based learning tools and other resources to help facilitate in-home learning.

For families in low-income neighborhoods, the costs are simply not realistic. Donating new school supplies to children in disadvantaged communities will make an impact on their ability to begin the school year school-ready.

While we don’t know what school is going to look like yet, we do know kids still need to be learning – whether it’s in person or virtual… And to do that, they need the right supplies now more than ever.
While many families are still coping with the loss of jobs, reduced wages due to reduced hours, etc., when it comes to keeping your family safe and healthy, keeping the lights on and a roof over their family’s head, school supplies can’t always make the list.

For families in low-income neighborhoods, the costs are simply not realistic. Donating new school supplies to children in disadvantaged communities will make an impact on their ability to begin the school year school-ready.

New school supplies needed include: 
• Backpacks
• Spiral notebooks
• Pencil boxes
• Scissors
• Glue sticks
• Box of pencils
• Box of pens
• Box of colored pencils
• Filler paper
• Box of crayons
• 1” binders
• Pocket folders
• Rulers
• Dictionaries
• Lunch bags

Donate online at swhd.org/schoolready
Online back-to-school drive donations are eligible for a dollar-for-dollar Arizona Charitable Tax Credit.

Is your business or organization interested in joining the back-to-school supply drive? Contact Annette Sutfin at (602) 633-8416 or asutfin@swhd.org.

SOUTHWEST HUMAN DEVELOPMENT: Southwest Human Development is Arizona’s largest nonprofit dedicated to early childhood development. Recognizing a child’s earliest experiences and relationships establish the foundation for all future development, Southwest Human Development’s more than 40 comprehensive programs focus on young children – ages birth to 5 – and their families in the areas of child development and mental health, Easterseals disabilities services, early literacy and Head Start, child welfare and professional development and training. Founded in 1981, Southwest Human Development serves 135,000 children and families each year. Learn more at swhd.org.