greenLockers has had a great amount of success this school year thanks to 34 different schools donating in our local area. Everything from backpacks, binders, and lunch boxes to sweat shirts, shoes, and textbooks has been collected and sorted through. We have spent countless hours to make sure that children locally, nationally, and across the world will have a better start to life by having the clothing and school supplies they need to be successful and fully equipped. These 34 different schools should be very proud at the work they have done. With their help we have collected over 16,000 pounds of supplies to redistribute to others. What a tremendous job! Friday June 25 is the start of distribution days. Non profits can register on the website, greenlockers.org, then start arriving at the warehouse at 9:00 am. Distribution ends at 3:00pm and will continue Saturday June 26 with the same hours of 9:00 am to 3:00pm. Thanks to everyone who has helped by donating, sorting, and collecting. You are helping to change the future of countless children.
The joys of not ever knowing how something will turn out is always nerve racking for me, but also knowing that God is always working with you and being on your side is the best feeling of all time! The distribution day was yet very helpful to me to understand what it is like to run a business by yourself. I had a great experience being able to communicate with local organizations, give a helping hand with moving supplies to the vehicles, and got the opportunity to get interviewed by ABC news. I would like to share a personal story that touched my heart while I was working. A young lady Amanda Green from Volinia Outcome School came and the first thing she started to do was tear up when I explained the warehouse tour to her. Her story with the school is kids whose parents are in jail or getting ready to appear in court and the kids are in trouble also and no one to teach them. There is about 75 kids that go to this dirt road, 1 school hallway with only 5 teachers. She said that last year they all had no supplies and the 5 teachers had to use their pocket money to supply all them. Wow how hard, especially when they don’t make a lot of money anyways for teaching. She was so happy and thankful to hear about greenLockers and how much of a blessing it was for her to be here. She was also pregnant and suffering in the heat at the warehouse. I kindly helped her out finding her folders, notebooks, and getting ALL the loose leaf paper together for her in the boxes while she went through the novels. God did such a breath taking moment for me and I just realized how amazing this young pregnant lady was for loving her job even through it’s with kids that don’t ever was to learn or be at school. She has been there 6 years and never wasn’t to leave she claims. I helped her put all the boxes into her car and gave her a big hug and told her how great of a person she was. When she took off all I could say out loud was “God you are so awesome and amazing”! I honestly said it about 6-7 times around the warehouse.
So, we are having our Last Distribution Days tomorrow, Friday (July, 10th) and Saturday (July 11th), from 9am-2pm on both days. We are really hoping benefit our community – which has really been hit hard this year. Access to supplies is on a FIRST COME, FIRST SERVE basis.
If you are a charitable organization that could use school supplies and/or clothes – please feel free to fill out a wishlist application form. Once you fill that out, we can fill you in with more information about getting your supplies.
Just a few pictures
These are the signs that people can follow from County Road 6 – to find the warehouse. Standing near the sign are some great individuals, representing their respective charitable organizations, who came to the first distribution days! I was so excited to meet so many wonderful people that give their lives to serve our community!
She is getting some great supplies for summer camps. By the way, these are the boxes that I have that you can fill for FREE – with whatever supplies you want to get
This is a package of donations from Long Island, NY. . . that’s right – New York!
I am so excited to see what happens in the next few days – I hope that maybe I will be able to meet you, and hear about your organization. If you don’t have an organization, but would still like to get involved with greenLockers – click HERE to find out how.
First of all, let me apologize for not keeping the website updated as we progressed through this year’s campaign. We are going to be uploading a series of posts throughout the next few weeks entitled, “Stories from 2009″ – that will catch you up on all the highlights, videos, and pictures from this year.
The good news is that we were busier than ever (i.e., part of the reason the web updates have been slow) – collecting around 9000 lbs of usable supplies!! I can’t wait to see how much positive change we can bring to our local and global community through these supplies!!
Here is a picture of around 20 bins full of supplies from just one school. . . just part of the over 300 bins collected this year.
We have since sorted through everything, and it is now time to distribute those supplies to local charities. The distribution days are happening this Friday (19th) and Saturday (20th) between 9am-2pm. All distribution is on a FIRST COME, FIRST SERVE basis – hope to see you there!! Here is the Media alert sent out this week to the local media outlets:
greenLockers to distribute new and slightly used school supplies
and clothes to local charities for FREE
WHAT:
The new and slightly used school supplies, clothes and workbooks collected this year by greenLockers will be available for distribution to local charities. The collection of supplies from 17 local school’s “locker clean-out days” totals nearly 9,000 pounds and has already been sorted and organized based on quality and function. All supplies are FREE for those charitable organizations that come to the distribution days after filling out an application at the Web site www.greenlockers.org under the “wishlist application tab.” Supplies will ONLY be given to individuals representing charitable organizations. Distribution of the supplies will occur on a first come/first serve basis.
WHY:
There is tremendous need right now in our area on many levels and too often that may result in community organizations being under resourced. These distribution days provide an opportunity for local charities, who already are connected with the needs in our community, to get some basic materials for FREE.
WHEN:
Friday June 19 and Saturday, June 20, from 9 a.m.-2 p.m.
WHERE:
Our warehouse located at 2600 Marina Drive in Elkhart, Indiana – just West of the intersection of CR6 and CR 15.
WHO:
greenLockers is a non-profit organization that was founded by Dr. Ted Bryant in the Spring of 2006. greenLockers resources students locally, nationally, and internationally through the distribution of school supplies. New and slightly-used school supplies (and clothes) are collected from area schools during their year-end locker clean-out days. In this way, greenLockers not only facilitates education, but it also enables students to help build community, gain courage, and break out of cycles of poverty that they may have been stuck in for generations.
Slogan:
Equipping students…moving the world forward
greenLockers
630 E. University Dr.
Granger, IN 46530
FAX: 574.807.7617
Email: ted@greenlockers.org
Please feel free to contact us with any comments, questions or suggestions that you might have.