The PEP Foundation launching a new website portal designed to connect community members directly with specific needs across the Putnam County School System.
PEP Foundation Executive Director Katelyn Steakley said the organization wanted to expand the ways local residents can find and support their neighborhood schools. Steakley said the portal features a wide range of opportunities.
“As we continue to grow as a community and we learn how to more holistically support the school system,” Steakley said, “We hope that people are surprised to find out about the type of needs that we’re meeting and find ways in which they’re really passionate and can bring their passion alongside us in helping us support the next generation of people in our community.”
The foundation also hosting its third annual Stuff the Bus campaign, which collects essential items for school care closets. Steakley said the organization parks a school bus at local retail locations to collect toiletries, hygiene items, clothing, and shoes for students.
“Our goal is to remove barriers for student achievement and as we have learned through just as we’ve developed as an organization, we’ve learned that barriers are a lot more complicated than just food and clothing and shelter,” Steakley said. “And so those things are connection and belonging and sometimes there’s barriers for kids to be able to have the opportunity to reach their full potential.”
The campaign focuses on basic necessities rather than traditional school supplies like pencils and paper. Steakley said other community partners and local churches already provide a significant amount of traditional supplies, so the PEP Foundation focuses on meeting the “invisible” needs that often fall to teachers to fund out of pocket.
“One essential way is when a child has an accident and there’s no other clothing available and they have to call mom and dad and call home instead of being able to change that child’s clothes and send them back to class and keep mom and dad from having to miss work,” Steakley said. “That was a common occurrence or something that happened sometimes in stories that we’ve heard that have really helped just kind of remove those barriers that a kid can have what they need, they’re not worried about having, they can get it and they can go straight back to class versus having to call home or send a teacher or somebody to go get something or an admin or whoever it may be.”
Residents who cannot attend the live events can donate through the foundation’s website or at several local drop-off points. Steakley said Wilson Bank & Trust, First National Bank, and Sam’s Club are all serving as collection locations for the drive.
