MLSC Completes Back-To-School Project SY 2012-2013

The Marianas Office of Micronesian Legal Services Corporation once again conducted its annual Back-To-School Project. Office staff donated money and new school supplies and organized a drive among other legal providers in their annual effort to give needy kids a chance to start school with the items they need to succeed. “We believe that kids will be more enthusiastic about learning if they have the tools they need,” said Jane Mack, the Directing Attorney at the Marianas Office.

Some of the book bags with supplies, ready for distribution.



More backpack, ready to go.

  Many other attorneys and members of the legal community share the desire to help children prepare for their educational experience. “An education is vitally important in being successful in the future,” attorney William Satterberg said. This year, in addition to MLSC staff, donations were given by Richard W. Pierce, William Satterberg, Rexford Kosack, Loren Sutton, Braddock Huesman, Thomas Clifford, Marsha Schultz, Kathryn Delafield, Eileen Escudero, Heather Kennedy, Vicente Salas, Adam Hardwicke, Jennifer Dockter and Suzanne Steffey.




Supplies include a binder, filler paper, folder, notebook, composition book, pencil case with pens, pencils, erasers, sharpener, and then age appropriate add-ons like crayons and rulers.




We included a bottle of water and hand-sanitizer with nearly all bags distributed this year.

 As a result of the generous support, MLSC distributed 76 backpacks with a wide range of supplies in them, and 8 small kits of basic school items. Children were selected as recipients from MLSC client families, referrals by Karidat and other community organizations, and self-referrals (phone inquiries). The donated supplies will help at least some students be prepared as they return to the classroom for SY 12-13.



MLSC paralegal Maria Muna hands out a book bag with supplies to a happy first-grader.




Students showing off their new backpacks.



MLSC's 2011 Back-to-School Project--A Success!

The 2011 Back-To-School Project sponsored by Micronesian Legal Services Corporation wrapped up another successful year. MLSC provides a means for attorneys and others to contribute in-cash or in-kind for school supplies for needy children. There is a direct pass-through of all donations. The recipient children come from many of the families that MLSC serves for their legal problems and others referred to the organization from community members.







This year, MLSC distributed 79 backpacks with supplies inside, including a binder, filler paper, notebook composition book, pencil bag with pens, pencils and erasers and additional items like crayons and glue for elementary students, graph paper and compass-protractor sets for middle school students, and white paper and correction tape for high school students.
















Donations to the project came from more than two dozen members of the Bar Association and staff, Congressman “Kilili” Sablan and his staff, and Mount Carmel High School’s National Honor Society, which conducted an in-school drive to help collect supplies.



“We know that we alone cannot fill the need that exists,” said Jane Mack, Marianas Office Directing Attorney. “We’re glad to see other similar projects in the community, and we’re proud to be helping in our own way.” The MLSC Back-to-School Project evolved from a personal project of the Marianas Office Directing Attorney in the 1980's, then was adopted by the entire office who wanted to help in the 1990's and eventually expanded when other attorneys in the community also joined the effort. The project has reached out consistently to approximately 75 students each year for the past five years.


Thank you to everyone who helped!




(all photos of recipient children posted with parental permission)

MLSC's Back To School Project

We held our annual Back-To-School Project this August and September 2010. This is a direct pass-through project where we collect money and school supplies from donors, primarily in the CNMI Bar Association, and then distribute everything in the form of school supplies to students in grades 1 through 12.

The good news for SY 2010-11 is that we collected $1190 in cash donations and approximately $915 in in-kind donations. (I say approximately because we estimate the value of the donations and don't have exact value for all items contributed.)

We distributed 77 book bags with supplies--binder, filler paper, folder, notebook, pencil case with pens, pencils, erasers and pencil sharpeners--and then depending on the grade, some additional components: the elementary add-ons (construction paper, glue, scissors, crayons, fancy pencils); the middle school add-ons (graph paper, compass, protracter, art eraser, scotch tape or index cards); the high school complement (white paper, art eraser, highlighter, white-out tape or fluid).

We also distributed all in-kind donations, so each book-bag recipient received a unique donation.

In addition to the 77 book bags with supplies, we gave out 24 small kits--containing 2 notebooks, a pack of 10 pencils and a box of crayons each. These kits were all identical (except for the colors of the notebooks) and were made possible by an in-kind donation after school started that helped us reach students on our list when we had run out of money and other supplies.

We were not very successful in reaching out to Tinian and Rota--distributing only 11 book bags with supplies to these islands' students, despite our efforts. We are happy that we did get something to each island, however.

We received less in overall cash and supplies this year than in 2009, perhaps reflecting the economic realities here; but interestingly enough, these donations came from more people than who donated in 2009--so generally the donations were smaller, but more people were reaching into their pockets to help our students.

And we really appreciate it.

There were many happy smiles on the recipients faces; and honesty, too. One recipient kept the school supplies that were needed for her children but said someone else had donated book bags to her, so she gave back the new ones we were going to give her back and then we gave them to two other kids who were not otherwise going to get backpacks this year.

All in all, this was another successful event. Thanks to everyone who helped.

Back-To-School Project STARTING

The Marianas Office is once again gearing up for its BACK TO SCHOOL PROJECT. Every year we distribute free book bags containing school supplies to needy kids in grades 1 through 12.

We need donations!!!
If you want to help, we accept in-kind or in-cash donations. Typically, we give a back-pack with a binder, filler paper, folder, notebook composition book, pens, pencils and erasers. Extras may include a pencil bag, crayons-glue-scissors-ruler for grade school kids, protractor-compass-graph paper for middle school kids, and typing paper-correction tape-art eraser for high school kids. We will also distribute all school supplies donated, so feel free to choose what you would like to see in the hands of kids--like dictionaries or other books, calculators, colored pencils, etc.

Call or e-mail anyone here and we'll arrange pick-up of your donation.

About recipients:
If you know someone you think especially needy, let us know. We are compiling our list now.

We try to reach out to kids in Saipan, Tinian and Rota. If we gave back-packs last year, we are not likely to give another one this year. We target the neediest and so we will want/need information about the family's financial situation. (We already have this information about our clients.)

MLSC's Back To School Project

Each year the Marianas Office of MLSC sponsors a "Back To School Project." We collect donations in cash and in-kind from local attorneys (and anyone else who wants to donate) and then distribute school supplies to needy children in grades one through 12.



This year our list of donors includes:

Lillian T. Ada
Ed Buckingham
Kelly Butcher
Omar Calimbas
Ian Catlett
Thomas E. Clifford
Committee to Elect Eric Atalig
Gloria Deltang
Estelle Hofschneider
James Holman
Rex Kosak
Jane Mack
Richard Pierce
Saipan Community School
Robert T. Torres
Vicente T. Salas
Esther M. San Nicolas
Randy Schmidt
Marcia K. Schultz

These generous contributors made it possible for the Marianas Office to distribute so far:

82 book bags, each containing basic supplies (binder, filler paper, folder, notebook, composition book, pencil case, pens & pencils; and grade-appropriate add-ons like ruler, glue and crayons; or protractor/compass set and graph paper; or white paper and highlighter)

6 bookbags with some bulk supplies to share (These went to one family with many kids in school.)

and

37 small supply kits (notebook, composition book, pens and pencils, extras if available)

We selected recipients from our database of clients, choosing families with the lowest income. We also took call-in requests and referrals from social service agencies. We sent some bags to Rota and Tinian for identified needy kids there. Obviously, there are many more kids we did not reach. But we're happy that we reached more than 100 kids in our community, with supplies to motivate and excite them about their return to school.



Thanks to everyone who made this project a success.

(We'll continue through this first week of school, if there are any others who want to make last-minute donations.)