Chamber collecting supplies for students

School isn’t in session for another couple months but the Bonita Springs Area Chamber of Commerce wants all teachers and students to be ready.

They are hosting their second annual school supply drive and asking local businesses and residents to help.

“So many kids in Bonita are on free or reduced lunch and the parents can’t afford to get them everything,” said Karen Brown, the training and development director for the chamber. “We come behind and make sure those students get what they need.”

Last year’s supply drive helped the chamber collect almost $3,000 that was used to buy supplies including pens, pencils, notebooks, markers and highlighters.

The chamber started the drive for elementary and middle schools not only to address the student need, but to help teachers who pay for most of the supplies themselves.

Brown said the high school need is already addressed with the scholarships the chamber offers.

“We talked to principals in the area about how we could help and supplies was a common theme,” said Brown, who has already had some donations including $500 from the Rotary. “Teachers, we know their salaries probably aren’t what they should be anyway, so for them to have to buy the supplies is a burden.”

And that’s a burden the chamber hopes to alleviate by handing out its list and using its building as a drop off site.

“We got the supply list from each of the schools and we found the common items and picked the 25 or 30 most popular,” Brown said. “It’s a pretty big burden for teachers.”

Students feelings are also a concern.

“We come from behind and make sure those students don’t feel bad and are on equal footing with a child whose parent could afford what they need,” she said.