KAUKAUNA, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – Parents plan to spend an average of $661 for back to school shopping, according to Deloitte Insights. That’s due to inflation, which is causing some panic as the new school year approaches.
The Kaukauna Public Library hosted its fifth annual School Supply Drive and Pick Up event to hopefully provide some relief.
“Me and the wife, his grandma, trying to do our part,” said Jeffery Cummings, a Kaukauna resident.
Cummings is raising his grandson, Paxton, who will be starting Kindergarten.
With inflation driving up back to school shopping eight percent, Cummings says school drives like this one help a lot.
“It’s going to be less than I have to buy for him because we’re raising him,” said Cummings.
All items at the drive were donated and are completely free for families to take.
“People really look forward to this event,” said Ashley Thiem-Menning, library director. “It’s pretty costly to buy the whole list of supplies.”
Thiem-Menning says they began collecting money and school items in June.
“We collect all the supplies. We sort them all out, and we put them out,” said Thiem-Menning. “Anyone that shows up is welcome to take items they need.”
The library has school supplies in bins outside the building for students to pick from.
“We have just about all the regular supplies you can think of, but we had lunch boxes this year, backpacks,” said Thiem-Menning. “We take in brand new shoes or gently-used clothing items.”
Thiem-Menning says, with buying supplies, the library suffered the same woes when it comes to high prices.
“We did have fewer donations brought in this year, which is why we’re grateful for our local Kaukauna Elks Lodge,” said Thiem-Menning.
Lodge #962 donated a $1,600 grant to the library to purchase school supplies for the event.
For Cummings, he’s grateful when the community comes together to help, especially since his grandson gets to start the school year with everything he needs.
In 2021, the library distributed more than $2,500 worth of supplies to area students in just a couple of hours.
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