Those of us who are parents could probably share some great stories about the frustrations of back-to-school shopping.
There’s nothing quite like marching through the mall with young fashion critics trying to find clothing that is appropriate for school and still fashionable and socially acceptable.
And who hasn’t had to trudge from store to store searching for the correct color folder or the right type of ruled paper to fill a school supply list?
Good times. But you know, although our wallets were definitely depleted after we finally tracked down all the items our kids needed to go back to school, most of us probably never doubted that they would be properly outfitted and armed with the tools they needed to tackle homework assignments or class projects.
A lot of area residents aren’t so lucky. There are many parents right here in Denton County who don’t have the means to purchase the clothing or shoes their kids need for school. And plenty of youngsters are probably worried that they may have to start school without the school supplies they need.
According to current estimates by the Denton school district, about 41.2 percent of students enrolled in local schools — as many as 10,200 children — qualify as economically disadvantaged, which means their families live below the poverty line.
When local musician and Recycled Books employee Jenny Seman read those statistics in an article, she decided to do something about it. She teamed up with other present or past store employees — many of whom are musicians or music fans themselves — to sponsor “Recycledpalooza” — a seven-band concert benefit and bake sale planned for Wednesday at Dan’s Silverleaf, 103 Industrial St.
The show will raise funds for the Apple Tree Project at Interfaith Ministries, which provides school supplies, clothing, backpacks and shoes to children from low-income families in the Denton school district. The goal of the project is for every child to be able to start off the school year on a competitive level with his or her peers.
In 2011, the Apple Tree Project provided more than 1,400 children with a complete set of school supplies, a new backpack, two sets of school clothing and a $25 gift card for new shoes, according to the Interfaith Ministries website.
The Recycledpalooza benefit show is scheduled to begin at 8 p.m., and tickets are only $5. Scheduled performers include Hares on the Mountain, Willie Dees and Andy LaViolette, Mariachi Quetzal, Forever Home, Kaleo Kaualoku, Delmore Pilcrow and Shiny Around the Edges.
All proceeds will go to the Apple Tree Project, and Recycled Books will make a donation to help the cause.
Sounds like a good time for a great cause.
You can find out more about the benefit by visiting
www.facebook.com/recycledbooks, and you can learn more about the Apple Tree
Project at www.ifmdenton.
org/appletreeproject.html or by calling 940-566-5927.
Going back to school is tough enough — kids shouldn’t have to worry about having the supplies they need. Let’s make sure our kids get what they need to do well in clas
