While most teenagers are celebrating their summer break from school, one young lady is continuing to spend her time on a project that will help a group of children have all their school supplies for next year.
Lauren Sarkis, a rising Sandy Creek High Schooler, has been collecting backpacks, pens, markers, paper, binders, and numerous other school supplies for children at Atlanta Day Women’s Shelter. Her goal is to have 100 backpacks, filled with school supplies, ready for the children to use come August and the start of the new school year.
Sarkis was motivated to help this group of kids after a visit to the shelter with her soccer coach last fall. She became aware that some mothers who, for whatever reason were homeless, were just trying to figure out how to feed their children, much less provide them with supplies that they needed for school. She decided she wanted to make a difference and also felt that this was the perfect project to complete her Girl Scout Silver Award, the second highest award a Girl Scout can earn.
“Right now, I have approximately 50 new or gently used backpacks, and enough school supplies to fill half of them,” she said.. “ I have sent approximately 30 letters to various companies asking them if they can donate some of the supplies. Unfortunately, I guess, with the economy, many are saying they are unable. But I’m going to keep working on it, and I’ll love giving whatever I can to these kids.”
Sarkis plans on continuing to brainstorm to find more school supply donations. She welcomes donations, large or small, from companies or individuals. She especially needs pens, pencils, rulers, protractors, compasses, construction paper, scissors, and glue.
The Tyrone Recreation Center and St. Paul Lutheran School in Peachtree City both have collection boxes for people to drop off items they can donate. For more information, you can contact the Atlanta Day Women’s Shelter at www.AtlantaDayShelter.org, or Sarkis’s mom at vlsarkis@numail.org.
