#PayingItForward Can Come Easily ... and at Little Cost!

Encouraged by the tremendous #community support for our elementary school after a small fire in August* damaged some classrooms, I decided to #PayItForward this morning, and my heart is a little full.

If you know me, you know I love a bargain ... and helping others. This week, I lucked out with both.

I scored an insane school-supplies-deal and I'm beyond thrilled to have donated approximately 250 composition notebooks and 150 folders to the amazing, intelligent and inspiring girls who attend Sisters Academy in #AsburyPark. 

I'm not posting for kudos, but hopefully to spark similar outreach and donations to like-minded schools and community organizations in need. I found all these items for literally pennies on the dollar ... so I couldn't NOT buy them! It's a small gesture, and I know these girls will use the supplies throughout the year.

As a PTA President and an employee actively engaged in community projects and #volunteer efforts, this comes a little naturally to me. (It also doesn't hurt that I work for a company, New Jersey Natural Gas, that makes volunteerism and 'giving back' a large focus!)

I hope folks reading this raid their local big box retailers to see what discounted goodies they can find. Usually bypass the Clearance Aisle? Next time, don't: do a quick once-over and see if what's being offered at 75% off is something someone else can use. Instead of throwing out books, think of where they can find a new home. Have a suit with the tags on that you never wore? Bring it to a thrift store associated with helping parolees get back into the workforce find professional attire. (Just some random ideas that come to mind. It's easy to find schools and nonprofits to accept donations -- but, call first!)

Full disclosure: everything I bought was under $20. See? It doesn't take a lot of money to make a difference and feel like you're a part of something big.

Our school is set -- we are nearly back to normal and received hundreds of donated items. Sisters Academy -- a place I have followed for a long time because I admire their commitment to underprivileged youth -- is a middle school in with a mission of teaching about 'Respect, Justice, Compassion, Integrity and Service.' The school has a 100% graduation rate and has an 11-month school year. Their students do tons of community service. It's a fantastic place.

From their website:

"By offering our students this education of excellence, combined with a full family focus, the cycle of poverty will be broken and its immediate effects will be eradicated. Our students will become people who, throughout their lifetime, become agents of systemic change and role models who break the cycle of poverty in their own lives and in the lives of others who face similar challenges."

I. Love. This.

Want to know more about this awesome Monmouth County school educating local girls? Click on the Sisters Academy website.

So many hyper-local and regional groups and organizations can use volunteers and donations, year-round. Hmmm ... I think it's time to survey some more retail stores with a shopping cart and hunt for bargains.

#PayingItForward  #Educating Girls #SistersAcademyNJ

(And, finally, to the poor guy at Target who had to ring me up -- in two visits! -- thanks for not complaining about me being the most annoying customer at checkout. Thank you to Sandy at Sisters Academy for bringing out the two scholars in the photo! To my husband who thinks I'm crazy when I scour the sales bins and load the car with random donations here and there, thanks for understanding.)

*Backstory: In mid-August, 30 teachers, aides and guidance staff at Ocean Twp Elementary School lost many or all of their classroom belongings when smoke damage from a one-classroom fire resulted in their stuff having to be tossed for safety and respiratory considerations. The immediate show of community support was awe-inspiring: dozens of local teachers, parents, families and businesses swooped in to make sure our staff had their rooms 'set' for the first day of school and before replacement items arrived. The OTES PTA stepped up to facilitate most of the donations, and we were proud to do so. Our school community is eternally grateful for everything that people donated and the District's hurrying to help return their rooms back to being theirs.