Project S.O.S. Needs Your Help to Get Back-To-School Supplies to Kids in Need

I got a glimpse of one parent's back-to-school shopping frenzy the other day and it wasn't pretty! This harried mom was stacking spiral notebooks, markers, pencils, crayons and more on the checkout counter with one hand, while checking the list in her other hand. She had the frantic look of someone who would rather be in a dentist's chair getting a root canal instead of there, in that checkout line, stocking up for her kid's return to school!

Now imagine you're a parent who needs to do this for your children, but you can't afford school supplies and pay the rent, or buy groceries or shoes for the kids to go back-to-school in! That is why The Banquet's Project S.O.S. (Supply Our Students) program exists. But they can't do it without our help.

So wherever you shop for your back-to-school supplies, look for the Project S.O.S. boxes and if you can contribute an extra notebook, some pens, pencils, or anything else on the Project S.O.S. school supply list that would be wonderful.

Last year Project S.O.S. supplied over 6500 backpacks filled with school supplies for children in need from families with limited resources. This is a year-round project for them, but the big fall distribution date is coming up at Whittier Middle School on Saturday, August 22, 2015, from 9 AM to 4 PM. Even though the fall school start date has been pushed back, this is the only date supplies will be given out until school begins.

There are a few important requirements to be aware of:

• Child must be present
• Child must be accompanied by an adult
• Child must have one (1) form of identification displaying their name

Like:

• Social Security Card
• Medicaid Card
• Birth Certificate
• Passport
• Library Card

If you'd like to volunteer to help with distribution contact The Banquet at 605-335-7066. If you'd prefer to make a monetary donation to this project instead of shopping yourself, that will work too! For more information check out The Banquet website and their Facebook page.