Help Homeless Youth when you attend Bizjam

Project Cool for Back-to-School provides homeless youth with back to school supplies each fall. This year the organization anticipates that they will serve approximately 2,100 homeless students between the ages of 3 and 18, from preschool to 12th grade, living in nearly 60 different emergency shelter, transitional housing, and homeless youth drop-in centers throughout King County.

Each student will receive a backpack filled with age-appropriate school supplies, gift certificates for new shoes, dental care items and information on community resources. Project Cool allows homeless students to return to school with dignity and promise, without the stigma associated with homelessness. Starting the year on positive footing means the difference between success and failure for many of these children.

For the past 7 years I have worked with Project Cool every summer to help raise money and to gather school supplies. This year Lara and Dan have generously agreed to allow me to ask the Biznik community to please consider donating to Project Cool.

This is the 2008 School supply list :

3-ring binders (2 inch)
Ballpoint pens (black and blue)
Colored pencils (12 count non toxic)
Crayons (24 count non toxic)
Colored markers (12 count non toxic)
Composition notebooks (college ruled)
Glue sticks (non-toxic)
Highlighters (various colors non toxic)
Index dividers (for 3 ring binders)
Loose-leaf paper (wide and college ruled)
Two pocket folders
Pencils (12 count boxes)
Pencil pouches (soft)
Pencil sharpeners
Pink erasers
Rulers (12 inch)
Spiral-bound notebooks (wide and college ruled)

If you would like to donate there will be collection bins at Bizjam. If you would like to make a cash donation please see me at Bizjam and I will happily take your donation and give you a big hug and a receipt.

It takes over 900 hours to plan, transport, sort, count, assemble, purchase and distribute the backpacks, so thank you for your part in helping.