The dog days of summer are traditionally a time of slow news cycles and leisurely vacations. But not if you’re a kid thinking about the upcoming school year. And even less if you’re a parent struggling to make ends meet — because ramping up for class can cost hundreds of dollars for just one child.
Every summer, generous readers of The Seattle Times pitch in to help ease the financial load by making donations to the newspaper’s School Supplies Fundraising Drive. It kicked off earlier this month, and every dollar raised will be divided between three local organizations: the Seattle/King County Coalition on Homelessness; YWCA Seattle-King-Snohomish; and on the Eastside, Hopelink.
These groups work with families who are homeless, or at risk of becoming so. There were roughly 40,000 public school students in that category statewide during 2025-26.
In years past, the organizations used School Supply Drive donations to purchase paper, pencils and notebooks, loading them into fresh new backpacks and giving those to children in need.
But more recently, in response to family requests, the groups have pivoted to purchasing gift cards from Target, Fred Meyer/Kroger and Walmart, and handing those to parents, who know best what their children need. Often, it’s new shoes and clothes.
Last summer, the YWCA provided gift cards and prepacked backpacks to the families of 539 kids, most of them living in shelters or using other emergency housing services.
Either way, these reader contributions helped hundreds of K-12 students start the new school year ready to learn, and there is no end to the ripple effects of that generosity.
The drive continues through Labor Day.
How to help: The School Supplies Drive is part of The Seattle Times Fund For Those in Need, a registered 501(c)(3) Charitable Organization. The easiest way to donate is online at st.news/schoolsupplies. Checks may also be sent to: The Seattle Times School Supplies Drive, P.O. Box C-11025, Seattle, WA 98111; email questions to ffn@seattletimes.com.
