How to Donate School Supplies for Homeless Students

Back-to-school season has begun, and we are in need of school supplies to help our students start the year with everything they need to succeed. With the cost of school supplies reaching up to $350 last year and always rising, many of our students are unable to afford the basic materials they need. Last year we gave over 6,000 backpacks and school supplies to our students. We couldn’t have done that without the generous donations from our supporters. Here is what you can do to help our students start the new year on the right foot:

1. Donate in Person – Buy extra backpacks, notebooks, pencils, or any items on our Student Wish List while you’re shopping. Drop them off at one of our offices:
   1. 83 S. Palm Street, Ventura, CA 93001 or
   2. 600 East 7th Street, Ste 109, Los Angeles, CA 90021
2. Roonga – Not near one of our offices? Now you can donate school supplies online. Browse our list of needed supplies, choose what you want to donate, and Roonga will send it directly to us.
3. Online shopping – Many websites and online retailers – such as Target, Amazon Smile, iGive.com, or eScrip – will donate a percentage of your purchase to School on Wheels. Use these tools when you’re shopping online, and some of the money you spend will help us give our students the supplies they need – at no extra cost to you!
4. Donate money for us to buy school supplies – Don’t have time to shop for supplies? Donate online: $50 buys a brand new backpack for a student. $100 provides a backpack and school supplies for the entire year.

Dan Cardinali, president of dropout-prevention group Communities In Schools said that when students don’t have the school supplies they need, “They lose a sense of belonging. They are, right from the start, set apart. It materially compromises their ability to learn.” Don’t let our students fall behind simply because they can’t afford school supplies. Your gift, however small, can make a difference.