KSHB 41 reporter Claire Bradshaw covers eastern Jackson County, including Blue Springs and Independence. Share your story idea with Claire.
For nearly a decade, Valley Community Church in Grain Valley has donated enough school supplies for every kindergartner entering school, helping families prepare for the new academic year.
Since the church started nine years ago, Valley Community Church has been donating enough school supplies to cover each kindergartner. The congregation either donates money, supplies, or their time to do the shopping.
They then deliver the supplies to the teachers before the school year begins.
Pastor Jason Williams said when they started doing this, it was to make a difference.
"We would love to do it for every student, but this is what we can do. And so parents that are sending their kindergartners to school, they've got enough on their plate, you know, sending them for the very first time to school, and so we want them to focus on on their children, and this is just something we can do and provide for them so they don't have to worry about school supplies," Williams said.
There are around 350 kindergartners in Grain Valley schools, and school supplies for each costs around $70, according to Williams.
That means it costs somewhere around $24,500 total to make sure each student is prepared for their first year.
This will be Chloe Stephens' second year teaching kindergarten. She teaches her students to care for their supplies, but said she does a restock halfway through the year.
"It's their first year, and so kindergarten is new. School might be new if they don't have older siblings, and that eases the stress of the families who have so much to do to get into the school year. And that just takes one thing off their tickets," said Stephens. "It's so important to have them be ready, and this is such a blessing to get all the supplies donated to us."
Teachers also received a gift card to Walmart to cover any other expenses for their classroom or to restock throughout this year.
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