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Giving School Tools for Learning
Des Moines, Iowa -- Necessary program cutbacks concerned the Kings Elementary staff. The revised budget would require parents to buy more supplies than ever for the upcoming school year. This would strain the budgets further of the many low-income families having to purchase clothes for their growing children. The probability of students coming to class empty handed was very real, making learning hard. When Iowa Christian Outreach Center and Operation Blessing center leader Rev. Paul Burch heard of Kings Elementary's predicament, he came to the aid of students with the right school tools!
Iowa Christian Outreach Center (ICOC) has been a part of Operation Blessing's national network since the early 1980's. Under the leadership of Rev. Paul Burch, it has grown. During Back-To-School 2001, ICOC partnered with sixteen local organizations and churches in assisting 517 disadvantaged children living in the Des Moines' area.
Last year's program made way for a grateful Kings Elementary staff in being able to buy supplies including glue, pencils, notebooks, colored pencils, paper, as well as back up underclothes for kindergarteners whose parents are having difficulty making ends meet. It also helped Mount Hebron Community Church in hosting a Back-To-School Carnival complete with games and gift backpacks filled with school supplies to each child guest. Other participating groups gave children gift certificates and took them for an exciting day of shopping.
Kings Elementary fourth grader, Dallas wrote, "I would like to thank you for my school supplies and socks. I got all the supplies I needed for school. I even got my favorite color backpack -- green. It's big and has lots of pockets and lots of space for my school supplies!"
"Your donation was a blessing from God," read the letter from Kings Elementary's staff. "We thank you all very much."
Operation Blessing's Back-To-School 2002 is underway! Many of our national centers are in the beginning stages of this year's program.
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