Each week, staff writer Meredith Moss profiles a non-profit organization in our community and its special needs. If your group has a wish list it would like to share with our readers, contact Meredith: MMoss@coxohio.com
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It's back-to-school time, which means it's time to help stock the shelves at Dayton Crayons to Classrooms (DC2C). The wonderful teacher resource center is a free store for teachers who serve under-funded preK-12 schools for children living in poverty in the Miami Valley.
Teachers from eligible schools — where 70 percent or more of the enrollment is receiving meals via the National School Lunch Program — are invited to “shop” for what they need in DC2C’s retail-style “store.” In partnership with local businesses, individual donors and community volunteers, DC2C collects and distributes an inventory of donated supplies and surplus products for use in the classroom.
Teachers are able to return school supplies and incentive items to their classrooms at no charge to them, their schools or their students’ families. During the 2015-2016 school year, DC2C will be serving 81 schools in our community. The organization’s vision is to provide every student in need with tools for success every day, in every way. Their mission is to collect and distribute school supplies at no cost to teachers of students in need.
The most requested items by teachers are:
- Crayons (24 count)
- Pens
- Pencils
- Colored pencils
- Filler paper (wide ruled)
- Notebooks (wide ruled)
- Glue sticks
- Pocket folders
- Student scissors
- Rulers
- Construction paper
- Washable markers
- Donations of yarn are needed. Volunteers knit/crochet warm hats and mittens for students with yarn donated to DC2C.
“We also accept ‘gently loved’ children’s books,” says the group’s fund development manager, Debra Seger. “Teachers are very pleased to pick up all the books they can when they visit to stock their in-class libraries and reading corners.”
To make it easy to contribute, Cox Ohio Media Group has partnered with Huntington Bank to host a school supply drive in their Dayton locations during the month of August.
Year-round donations can be dropped off from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays at the teacher resource center located at 1511 Kuntz Road, Dayton. DC2C is located inside the Goodwill Easter Seals Miami Valley building just look for the door that has a big red and yellow crayon above it.
Special event planned at K12
K12 Gallery & TEJAS is joining with Crayons to Classrooms to host a free community event for preschoolers through adults to celebrate the Back to School season and collect school supplies for students in need. It will take place from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 15 at 341 S. Jefferson St., Dayton.
Three, 90-minute visual art classes will be offered for these age categories: Preschool (3-5); Elementary school (6-11); Teens (12-17); Life-long learners (18 and over); and Multi-generational (families). Dayton Dragon's mascot Gem will visit from 11:30-12:30. On-line registration is required and individuals are asked to bring a new school supply for Crayons to Classrooms. You can register on Eventbrite: http://bit.ly/1KZZVmM
If you have questions, contact Deb Seger at (937) 528-6403 or via email, d.seger@dc2c.org. If you prefer to make a monetary donation, checks can be made payable to Dayton Crayons to Classrooms and mailed to 1511 Kuntz Road, Dayton, OH 45404-1232 or made securely online by visiting www.dc2c.org. All monetary donations are tax deductible.
Any non-profit need movie collection?
We get frequent calls and emails from those who are “cleaning out” and “paring down” and would like to donate items to a worthwhile non-profit organization. This week, it’s Art Snyder of Centerville who would like to donate his collection of classic films to a good cause.
“Since you’re so well-connected, perhaps you can give me suggestions for donating about 1,200 VHS tapes (in great shape) to an organization or other worthy recipient,” he writes. “I don’t want to fool around with garage sales.”
The tapes are primarily vintage comedies, drama, mysteries, musicals and dance. Almost all are top films from about 1934 to 1960 and none are R-rated. Typical films feature Barbara Stanwyck, Cary Grant, Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, Katharine Hepburn, William Powell and Myrna Loy, Humphrey Bogart and the like. Several are by director Alfred Hitchcock.
The collection is free. If your organization could make use of them, contact Snyder: artsnyder44@cs.com
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