PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — According to the National Retail Federation, the average family is spending $875 on back-to-school shopping this year. In Philadelphia — the most impoverished large city in the U.S. — that money simply isn’t there for some families.
It’s why nonprofits like Cradles to Crayons exist in the city to help make up the costs for some families and provide some children with the back-to-school supplies they need to succeed from their first day back in a few weeks.
Michal Smith, executive director of Cradles to Crayons Philadelphia, said it feels good to have new supplies on the first day of school.
“We all remember how great it felt to have a new backpack with a pencil case, have a notebook, smell…new pencils, pencil sharpener,” she said. “We feel good. It's like when you have a new pair of shoes to start school and some clothing.”
Ahead of this school year, Cradles to Crayons is distributing over 72,000 backpacks to children in the area as part of its annual Ready for Learning initiative. Those backpacks will be filled with school supplies and the organization will also be offering outfit packs for students complete with shirts, shoes, pants, jackets and coats.
“We all know about food insecurity and we all know about housing insecurity, but we really don't think about clothing insecurity or basic essentials insecurity,” said Smith, who went on to say that lack of clothing and supplies is the leading reason kids skip school.