By By Jason Cannon
Throughout August, the Franklin County Times had drop boxes located at First Metro Bank, Citizens Bank, Community Spirit Bank (Russellville, Vina and Red Bay branches), Bank Independent, Valley State Bank, Warehouse Furniture and Valley State Bank, Wal-Mart branch.
The boxes were the first of the Times Annual Schoolhouse Stock School Supply Drive.
The boxes were places at each location for about six weeks, then brought back to the office and sorted.
Honestly, we didn't know what to expect.
It's often hard to start an initiative like that from the ground up.
Especially since we didn't provide local businesses and shoppers with a ton of notice.
However, last week we delivered two nearly full boxes of school supplies.
I don't have an extensive background in the retail value of school supplies, but it looked to be close to $700 or $800.
Franklin County's shoppers were very responsive to the needs of our local students.
Boxes were filled with everything from backpacks, to pencils, pens crayons and just every other school supply on local shopping lists.
These supplies were packed up and delivered to the local boards of education and should be finding their way into the hands of the children who need them very soon.
School supplies are expensive, especially for families on a fixed income, and it's not just a one-time expense.
Crayons break, pens run out of ink and notebooks run out of paper.
Buying school supplies is an on-again/off-again process that lasts the whole year.
The more children you have, the greater the financial strains.
Hopefully, together we have eased some of that financial burden.
Franklin County really stepped up to the plate to help these children this year and we hope we'll be able to do even more next year.
My thanks to all the businesses who allowed us to place a box under their roof.
Be on the lookout for our drop boxes beginning in June 2008. We hope to fill them many times over.