• By Susan Parker
• Posted Saturday, August 1, 2015

Help a child start the school year off right!

Remember the excitement you had as a child at the start of a NEW school year? You may have enjoyed reconnecting with friends and teachers, or you may have enjoyed your new back-to-school supplies. While school just ended for most students, it’s time to think about helping children to “return to school” in the fall.

The Relatives as Parents Program (RAPP) seeks your support in providing essential school supplies to children who live with their grandparents or other relatives. Why do these children need your help? RAPP families need help because they are unexpectedly parenting a second time. These kinship families face situations that are demanding at many levels, but economic challenges are common.

Help us share the excitement children feel about going back to school. Any individual or group can organize a service project to help:

Follow these steps to help our RAPP children:

• Contact the RAPP Coordinator, Susan Parker, and let her know you are interested in purchasing materials. She can be reached by email at parkerse@forsyth.cc, or by phone at 336-703-3744.
• RAPP will be using a vendor for the backpacks and school supplies this year, so any individual or group can order materials directly from our vendor, Kits for Kidz.
• Then go to our dedicated RAPP website at Kits for Kidz: http://store.kitsforkidz.org/rapp.htm The site will “go live” on June 17, 2015.
• RAPP will receive ordered items directly from Kits for Kidz and distribute them during the week of August 17 so that these children are ready to begin school!

The RAPP Program is part of the Forsyth County Department of Social Services’ Family and Children’s Division. The program has supported and served kinship families since 2003.