THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, September 7, 1994 TAG: 9409030187
SECTION: ISLE OF WIGHT CITIZEN PAGE: 03 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY LINDA McNATT, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: ISLE OF WIGHT LENGTH: Medium: 81 lines
For most school-aged children, pencils, pens, paper and paste are essential for starting back to school.
But there are children whose financially-strapped families can't afford the bare necessities. For them, school supplies are unaffordable luxuries.
Those are the youngsters that the Virginia Peninsula Association of Realtors Inc.'s Secretary's Committee had in mind last year when the group started a project to provide school supplies to disadvantaged children in area schools.
The project started in Hampton, where boxes filled with small items children need every day were delivered to each school in that city. This year, the project was brought to Isle of Wight County.
``We wanted to do something different,'' said Norma Bauer, who chairs the 18-member secretary's committee of the Realtors' association. ``We know there is lots of help around for these youngsters during the holidays, for example. But where are they going to get the money for school supplies if the family just doesn't have it?''
Some local youngsters won't have to worry about that this year. Bauer, with Margo Stewart, office manager for William E. Wood's Smithfield office, and Margaret Kyle, a temporary secretary with Stephenson Realty in Smithfield, distributed boxes to area schools filled with everything from erasers to dictionaries.
The school-supply boxes were handed over to the schools' principals. During the year, it will be up to the principals to dole out supplies to teachers who will then give them to students they know can't afford to buy what they need.
It was a way to thank local teachers and administrators for their dedication to educating the children, the women with the Realtors association agreed.
``Each child deserves the right to the education you so graciously provide,'' Bauer said in a letter to each principal at the county's eight schools. ``With your help, we, too, would like to make an investment in some of your children's futures.''
Providing free school supplies to children is just one of four public service projects the secretary's committee completes each year, Stewart said.
The secretary's committee, designed to promote professionalism, was formed several years ago to discuss new regulations in the real estate industry and to try to find better ways of accomplishing certain tasks, Stewart said. Now, the organization actually certifies real estate secretaries, sponsors seminars and keeps track of the latest in computer software for real estate operations.
The boxes overflowing with school supplies were an example of an often-unanswered need, Smithfield Middle School principal Rebecca Mercer said, when the women delivered the gift.
``This is one of the nicest things anybody has ever done for this school,'' she said, looking through the boxes. ``I just went shopping for school supplies for my two children, and we ended up spending about $80. It really can get expensive.''
Mercer said that most principals are aware there are children who simply can't afford to buy what they need for school. Often, she said, the burden falls on kindhearted teachers. The supplies provided by the secretary's committee would go a long way, she said.
The project was one that was supported by every member of the association, Bauer said.
``We've had overwhelming support from all of the Realtors,'' Bauer said. ``We tried to gear the boxes to whatever school-age group we were giving to. ''
Last year, Bauer said, the secretary's committee had hoped to help about 50 children and ended up assisting about 100 students with needed school supplies. This year, the group collected more than $1,000 for supplies. Members of the secretary's committee did the shopping, and the three women who represented the committee locally handed them out.
``It's wonderful to see this,'' Bauer said. ``Many of our Realtors don't even have children, yet they were more than willing to support this project.'' ILLUSTRATION: Photo by LINDA McNATT
Boxes of school supplies were delivered to area schools. From left
are Norma Bauer, Rebecca Mercer, Margo Stewart and Margaret Kyle.
by CNB