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budget for
the candy
School starts tomorrow, which means that hundreds of young students will soon be flooding Columbus County homes and businesses, selling candy bars, cookie dough mix and wrapping paper to raise money for their schools or clubs.
It’s not that they want to; it’s a necessity in a time when the schools are underfunded and classrooms are badly wanting of basic supplies like copy paper and pencils.
Columbus County and Whiteville students attended open houses by the thousands this week. At many, the schools’ PTA chapters or Communities in Schools workers set up tables at the doors, seeking donations or volunteers to help with tutoring or mentoring students.
We encourage everyone to consider volunteering in the schools. You won’t find a more rewarding experience than helping a struggling child learn how to read. More often than we’d like to imagine, the simple act of a hug or smile from an adult who cares about them is the highlight of a child’s day. School volunteers truly make a difference in the world.
If time constraints or other reasons prohibit you from volunteering, budgeting a few dollars for school fund-raisers is a step in the right direction. Rest assured, most people will have that opportunity within the month.
Study after study and common sense tell us that schools with the highest rates of volunteerism from adults and extra financial assistance are the ones that often do the best. Schools get better when the money and volunteerism meet.
And when schools get better, communities get better. Spending a couple of dollars on a candy bar, or better yet, volunteering, are two of the best investments we can make.