Help Support Back to School! Store
There wouldn’t be a Back to School! Store without the generous financial support from local companies, foundations, synagogues and churches, service groups and individuals.
In order to serve 1000 deserving elementary school children at the 2012 event and over 4000 children a year through our Kids Community Closets, NCJW needs to raise $150,000…$180 per child.
Cash donations, merchandise and in-kind donations are all needed.
Sponsorship Opportunities:
- Gold Star ($7,500 and up)
- Silver Star ($4,000 – $7,499)
- Bronze Star ($2,501 – $3,999)
- Stock a new closet ($2,500)
- Fill and existing closet ($2,000)
- Install a closet ($1,800)
- Blue Ribbon ($1000)
Benefits based on sponsorship levels…
Merchandise Needed:
All of the items given to the children are brand new. Though we need 1000 to 1200 of each item for the event, donations in any quantity are accepted.
- Pants – size 5T through adult sizes needed for boys & girls
- Shirts – size 5 through adult sizes needed for boys & girls
- Tennis shoes – size 10 (little kids) through adults sizes needed for boys & girls
- Socks – multi-packs of socks (3, 5 or 6 per pack) in youth and adult sizes for boys & girls
- Underwear – multi-packs of boys/men’s briefs or boxers, and girls/women’s briefs or bikini style underwear
- Coats – winter coats size 5 through adult needed for boys & girls
- Hats – children’s and adult knit winter hats for boys & girls
- Gloves – winter gloves for in small, youth and adult sizes for boys & girls
- Backpacks – full size children or adult backpacks
- Books – appropriate for K-5th grade readers
- Pens
- Pencils
- Erasers – large pink erasers
- Crayons – 24 count
- Colored Pencils – 12 pack
- Markers – 10 pack
- Scissors – safety style and child size scissors
- Glue sticks
- Rulers
- Highlighters
- Calculators
- 2 Pocket Folders
- Spiral notebooks
- Loose leaf paper
- Personal care items – including shampoo, conditioner, soap, lotion, toothpaste, toothbrushes, brushes, combs
- Preschool toys – we can also use toys, books, puzzles, coloring books and simple crafts to help entertain the preschool siblings while they wait for their big brothers and sisters to finish shopping in the store
Do you have something else you can donate which is not on the list?
Each year we have some bonus items which we give out to the kids. If you have something that you think our kids would enjoy, give us a call to discussion your donation.
Services & Event Planning Needs:
- Food during the Store – Volunteers who work 2 shifts at the store are fed lunch, plus we provide refreshments and snacks for all. That’s over 500 volunteers on the day! We also need lunch trays, box lunches or pizza to feed 10-15 volunteers each day the week before and after the event, and we have a dinner for about 50 volunteers who show up the night before the event to help put the final touches on setting up the store. Donations of grocery gift cards, soda, bottled water, and coffee are needed too.
- Delivery driver and truck – All of the goods that we give out to the kids are stored in our building. On the Monday before the store, we need a truck and driver that can transport the goods to the store location. The week after the store, we will need to take items back to our building and return borrowed clothing racks.
- Clothing fixtures – We get many of the racks for the clothing from a store where we buy most of the coats for the children, but we need additional racks so that there is space to display all of the clothing. If you have racks that can be used in the main store or for excess stock in the back rooms, we would love to talk to you.
- Security guards – To ensure everyone’s safety, we need 2-3 security guards or off duty police officers throughout the event day. We have 3 hour shifts available – morning, early afternoon or late afternoon.
- Hotel style shuttle bus and driver - One of the challenges of our site location is limited parking. We do have access to the parking about 1/3 mile away, and would like a driver that can shuttle volunteers. We don’t really need this all day, just for about 1 hour in the early morning and at volunteer shift changes in the late morning and mid-afternoon.
- Liaisons – Maintain stock and manage a Kids Community Closet with a school
- Pipe and drape – We use pipe and drape to create dressing rooms for the boys and girls, and also to create an area for our extra coat stock that hasn’t been brought out the store floor yet.
- Signage – We need signs and banners throughout the store to thank sponsors and direct traffic.
- Photography - Professional photos of the event help us capture the day and provide publicity for the event in future years.
- Advertising – We advertise the event on the radio and in print media before and after the event to help us meet our fundraising goals, donations and obtain needed volunteers.
*The National Council of Jewish Women – St. Louis Section does not provide goods or services as whole or partial consideration for your contribution. NCJW-St. Louis Section is recognized as a 501 (C) 3 organization by the Internal Revenue Service.
