The first day of school is one of the most anticipated and anxiety-ridden days for children everywhere. For foster children, these emotions are often exacerbated by going to a brand new school without the right tools – the pencils and pens, notebooks, crayons, protractor, rulers, and paper that peers will have packed in their backpack. And, on top of this, these foster children face daunting statistics that suggest foster children are more likely to repeat a grade in elementary and secondary school, are six times more likely to need special education services, and are unlikely to go to college.*
To help foster children face these challenges, Sleep Country USA (www.sleepcountry.com) the Northwest’s largest seller of brand- name mattresses, announced that it is holding its fifth annual School Supplies drive. Community members and businesses are invited to bring donations of new school supplies to any of the more than 70 Sleep Country USA locations throughout the Pacific Northwest. All donations will be provided to the company’s non-profit foster organization partners and distributed to foster families with school-age children. Items such as pencil boxes, backpacks, calculators , markers, pencils, notebooks, binders, scissors, and crayons are especially needed to help foster children begin school with the required tools to learn.
“One of the best chances foster children have to succeed in life is through community support for a good education,” said Tauni Hemminger, the executive director of Bridge the Gap, one of Sleep Country USA’s foster care partners in Washington State. “A constantly changing environment makes it difficult for these children to acclimate to an already daunting area of development, but we know that continued encouragement and the ability to fit in can help them face new situations with confidence and ease. That’s why it’s so important for foster children to start school with the checklist of supplies kids are asked to bring and the opportunity for this first step to not be a differentiation point among their peers.”
Sleep Country USA begin the Sleep Country Foster Kids Program in 2005 to collect important material items for foster children, including school supplies, to help them have the things that are often taken for granted by the general population. During the past four years, the company has collected hundreds of thousands of school supply items, providing them to the more than 26,000 foster children in our area. The company has also partnered with Wild Waves Theme Park to provide half off discount on admission to the park in exchange for donations of school supplies on August 22nd, from 10am-8pm, presenting another way for the community to get involved.
“Shopping for school supplies conjures up fond memories for most parents and children, but for foster families, it’s an additional expense they may have difficulty affording,” said Terry Horsley, vice president of brand strategy for Sleep Country USA. “We suggest families that are already shopping pick up a few extra items to share with less-fortunate children in the community. We have also found it to be a great opportunity for companies to encourage employees to give back without the need to establish a formal charitable event. This is typically our largest drive, as it should be, and we continue to be extremely amazed at the generosity in our markets and thankful that we can contribute at such a significant level to this important cause.”
Visit www.sleepcountry.com or call 1-888-88-SLEEP for more information
*According to 2009 statistical information provided by foster organization partner, Treehouse
About Sleep Country USA: Sleep Country USA is the No. 1 mattress seller in the Northwestern United States, with more than 70 mattress retail stores throughout Washington and Oregon. The company was founded in 1991 and features top-quality brand-name mattresses and premium adjustable beds, futons, and wood and metal accent beds. The company’s award-winning Sleep Country Foster Kids program actively contributes to its communities through ongoing drives and events that benefit the area’s more than 26,000 foster children. For more information about Sleep Country USA or the Sleep Country Foster Kids program, please visit www.sleepcountry.com