Mandi Olson
Director of Ready Set School
It’s back-to-school time. What memories come to mind when you hear that? Maybe you were the kid with brand new sneakers, a crisp new notebook with a heart filled with excitement. Or a kid with hand-me-down shoes, a worn backpack and some reservations. Either way, I’m guessing the majority of people have a memory or emotion tied to back-to-school time.
At Ready Set School, we strive to give kids a positive memory by providing the basic tools they need to be ready to learn. We accomplish this goal through active fundraising all-year round to serve over 1,000 students and teachers from kindergarten through grade 12. Believe it or not, we’ve been doing this for Winona County for over 25 years!
This year just when we all started to think about a new normal beyond COVID, the nation was hit with another threat – inflation. Inflation is hurting families’ budgets and causing more financial stress for necessities. We know it made back-to-school needs more burdensome because we had a 20% increase in applications.
There is good news, though. With your help, we gave out 949 vouchers to students and over 100 backpacks full of school supplies in August! We thank you, our supporters, for your on-going support of kids in Winona! Whether you gave a monetary donation, hosted or participated in our events, or donated school supplies – you helped us meet the needs of over 1,000 students County-wide. Your generosity does not go unnoticed.
Ready Set School wishes students, teachers and families a great start to their school year. Don’t forget – we are here if you need us!
Ready Set School works to ensure that all Winona County children, grades K-12, have the basic and necessary school supplies and clothing for school. Learn more at www.readysetschoolwinona.org.
