KidSmart empowers children in need to succeed in school by providing essential tools for learning.
KidSmart opened its doors in 2002 to improve the educational opportunities offered to tens of thousands of local children who live in poverty in our community. Since opening, KidSmart has supplied hundreds of thousands of kids in need with $54 million worth of free schools supplies. Through a successful community-wide collaboration, KidSmart has equipped our children, who are at the greatest risk, with the tools they desperately need to succeed in school.
KidSmart’s Push for Pencils, the largest drive of its kind in Missouri, is a community-wide school supply drive which takes place each August. The movement is grassroots and includes more than 186 participating businesses, 50,000+ employees and individuals throughout our community. Each year, 500,000 essential school supplies are collected, and then directly distributed, to thousands of local children through the KidSmart Free Educational Supply Store. More than 90,000 local, school-aged children live in poverty and often attend school without basic supplies. Supporters of this campaign believe that every child deserves a chance to have the learning tools and educational experiences they need to succeed in school and thus throughout life.
July and August!
KidSmart asks that as the drive coordinator, you help in the following areas:
As long as the entire summer, to one day!
Pencils, paper, markers, crayons, and glue are the top five (5) most needed school supplies, but many other school supplies and educational resources are also always in demand.
This year’s supplies will primarily be distributed through the KidSmart On the Go! program, through our Pop Up stores, and direct school distribution.
KidSmart’s PUSH is for the basic school supplies such as paper, pencils, markers, crayons and glue which are the supplies needed most by the children whom KidSmart serves. They are supplies that are consumable by nature and without them a child faces an obstacle nearly impossible to overcome.
Yo Yes! KidSmart is proud of the fact that 93% of our donations support the KidSmart Free Store Program. 7% is invested for fundraising and administrative expenses. For every $1 donated, KidSmart is able to leverage that financial support and distribute $5 worth of free school supplies and educational resources to the tens of thousands of children we serve. That’s a powerful 5 time return on investment!
KidSmart relies on company employee volunteers to transport the donated supplies to our Free Educational Store. This is an additional volunteer and donation opportunity for someone within your organization.
Again, KidSmart relies on kindness and support of our corporate employee volunteers to ensure that the supplies get delivered to our Free Educational Supply Store so that we may distribute them to our tens of thousands of kids in need.
Yes! You may create volunteer opportunities within your company drive: supply sorting, counting, packing, and delivery partners. Also, KidSmart offers corporate team building opportunities. Contact KidSmart at 314-291-6211 or email us at psuhforpencils@kidsmart.org for more information.
Community Partners equip tens of thousands of local kids in need by hosting a supply drive throughout the month of August.
Back to School Community Partner Includes:
Recognition Includes: