2023 “Cram the Vans” School Supply Drive
2023 “Cram the Vans” School Supply Drive
Directions in Independent Living 2nd Annual Supply Drive Running Through the End of August
The first annual “Cram the Vans” received so many donations some of the stacks were taller than the volunteers. Photo / DIL
If you’re a parent, you know the struggles of back-to-school season. From new clothes to all the little things required for the classroom… it gets expensive. Especially for families that might already find it challenging to make ends meet. (Life gets hard once in awhile; sometimes you need a little help and that’s okay!) Directions in Independent Living of Olean, NY understands this situation perfectly. Which is why, for the 2nd year in a row, they are hosting their annual “Cram the Vans” School Supplies Drive.
From August 8th-30th, anyone feeling generous can stop in at either 512 West State Street or 2626 West State Street (Suite 202 or 208) between 9:00am and 3:00pm and donate backpacks, crayons, pencils, colored pencils, notebooks, tissues, hand sanitizer, etc. Even snacks like granola bars, gummies and the like are also appreciated.
Speaking with Keith Adkins, the Agency Development Director of DIL, he said, “When we started this drive three years ago, the goal was really to help the people in our community who were struggling during a very difficult time make sure that their kids had everything they needed to succeed in school. I’m a father of nine kids myself and I know that the expenses for education can be high.”
In light of that, the event has been an amazing success each year. Last year there were so many items donated that every school on the list was amply supplied. They also received quite a few monetary donations which were applied towards snacks for students on their field trips, something that many families who are’t able to send their kids in with benefitted from.
When asked why Directions in Independent Living works so hard for this event, Keith stated, “Kids are our greatest assets. They are going to go on to work in our country, some maybe even run it. Every kid, from any walk of life, should be entitled to the necessary supplies to succeed. When we help our kids, we’re helping build a better future.”
If you want to be a part of this mission, you can stop at the locations listed above or you can come out to the Walmart Supercenter in Olean on August 30th from 12:00-3:30pm for the live donating event. One of the vans will be on-site to hold any donations that are received.
For more information on Directions in Independent Living, services they offer and upcoming events, visit oleanilc.org.
