Schools in the River Parishes will open in a few days, and again River Parishes Tools for Schools will provide needy students with the supplies they need for the academic year, according to founder and coordinator, Betty Coleman Clement. This will mark River Parishes Tools for Schools’ eleventh year of providing school supplies to students in St. Charles, St. James and St. John the Baptist parishes whose parents cannot afford to purchase them.
According to Clement, Tools for Schools sponsors have made it possible for thousands of needy students to have the supplies needed to function effectively in their classrooms since its inception in 1996.
Major contributions from Shell Norco Refining donated $10,000, Motiva Enterprises, LLC, contributed $5,000 and Louisiana Federal Credit Union and Wal-Mart each donated $1000.
Valero Entergy Corporation again awarded Tools for Schools a $15,000 grant to provide uniforms to students in St. John parish. Applications were distributed in March and vouchers were mailed to parents in May.
Following Hurricane Katrina, River Parishes Tools for Schools provided school supplies to every student enrolled in St. John Parish Schools.
“Shell awarded Tools for Schools a grant of $10,000 in the weeks following Katrina to be used to assist students in the River Parishes who were effected by the hurricane,” Clement added. “Throughout the year, supplies were provided to schools to be distributed to our displaced students,” she concluded.
Special effort will again be made to serve those students who were impacted not only by Hurricane Katrina but Rita as well.
School supplies are currently being delivered to school board offices in St. Charles and St. James parishes. Parents of St. John parish students who need supplies should give their names of the children to the principal or guidance counselor.
Each of the St. John Parish schools were provided a large quantity of supplies the last week of May to serve those students who are in need of them the first few days of school.
According to Yvonne Gaspard of the St. Charles Parish Schools, the Tools for Schools project is a River Parishes Education Initiative.
St. Charles Social Concerns with help from United Way fund uniform money through the St. Charles Parish schools for those in need. St. Charles Social Concerns also helps the local teachers with classroom supplies as needed.
Slightly used uniforms are also available at the Thrift Shop on Paul Maillard Road in Boutte, for very reasonable prices.
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