SIMPLE Giving Back to School Initiative | Donate School Supplies to Families in Need

While most of us are just settling into our summer routines, Back to School season is already sneaking up on us.

Those lists of required school supplies can easily run upwards of $30 per kid — and I’ve had some readers tell me that they are spending $100 or more just on supplies!

Shopping sales and waiting for bargains can help, but for the 16 million American children who live below the poverty line, the challenge of getting the supplies they need to succeed in the classroom is bigger than just scoring a $.25 box of crayons.

That’s why I’m excited to have teamed up with Champions for Kids’ SIMPLE Giving Initiative. Together with Elmer’s, Purell, Unilver and Walmart, SIMPLE Giving is helping to provide backpacks filled with school supplies for families in need.

You can help by donating a SIMPLE Giving backpack. The initiative is taking place in more than 3,000 Walmart stores across the U.S. from now through August 1. Just look for the yellow school bus collection bin at the front of your store (or check this list of participating stores to find one near you).

In addition to the school supplies, each backpack contains a coupon booklet valued at over $50! Before donating the backpack, feel free to remove the coupon booklet to use yourself — the money you’ll save by using the coupons  will pay for the backpack itself!

One of the things I love the most about couponing is that it affords me the ability to be more generous than perhaps my finances would allow. This SIMPLE Giving project is a perfect example of that! The next time you’re in the store to check off your children’s Back to School list, I’d love it if you would consider donating a backpack (or two) to families in need.

And there’s another way to contribute, as well: Through social media. For those of you on Twitter, you can lend a hand today (July 10th) by joining the SIMPLE Giving Twitter party today at 1 p.m. EST.

During the party, you’ll learn about more ways for your family to give back locally, like Purell’s Lend a Hand Project and Elmer’s Let’s Bond Project.

If you’ll be online at 1 p.m. EST, I’d love for you to hang out with me to help raise awareness about these initiatives – and, like all good Twitter parties – have a chance to win some prizes for yourself.

Join the #SIMPLE Giving Twitter party

WHEN: Thursday, Jul 10 @ 1pm – 2pm (EST)

WHERE: Twitter Chat

PRIZES: Five prizes will be given to randomly selected participants who answer the trivia questions correctly. Each prize is a $50 Walmart gift card. Prizes are limited to U.S. participants age 18 and older only.

Disclosure: This post was written on behalf of Champions for Kids and The Motherhood. However, the stated opinions about the importance of giving are entirely my own. Learn more about sponsored posts in my Disclosure Statement.