School Supply Give Away of Gary, Inc.

Background / History
SSGA was the brainchild of Ben and Sharon Tyler, who operate the “AAble 2 Stow It” self-storage and U-Haul franchise on Taft Street in Gary, and other friends in the area. In 2002, they saw a need in their neighborhood, where many families had difficulty providing their children with appropriate supplies to start the school year. They collected spare change from their customers and the truck drivers who stopped in to their business, contacted a few friends and local businesses for donations and got help from their parish church, St. Augustine’s Episcopal in Gary. That first year, the Tylers were able to provide school supplies to about 90 neighborhood children.
SSGA has grown exponentially every year since; in 2012 over 1,300 Gary students, from preschool through college, received the supplies they need to start the school year and be successful in the classroom.
In 2011, SSGA took a major step forward by formalizing its organization. SSGA is now a registered Indiana non-profit corporation, and we have received official designation from the IRS as a qualified 501(c)(3) charitable organization. These steps will enable us to expand our fundraising efforts and provide additional assistance to students in the Gary community.

Our Customers & Services
SSGA’ s primary service area is the Brunswick, Horace Mann and Tolleston neighborhoods on the west side of Gary. SSGA focuses its communication and promotion efforts primarily on reaching students and families in these neighborhoods.
We provide supplies for children and students from the preschool level through college. Each student receives a backpack and grade-appropriate supplies. The annual give-away event, usually held in mid-August at the “AAble 2 Stow It” facility on Taft Street, has expanded to include a hot-dog lunch for all attending, and partnerships with the Gary Police Department, who hand out fingerprinting kits, and the Gary Fire Department, who bring their “smoke house” for a fire-safety demonstration. The Gary Public Library takes library card applications, and local hair stylists provide free haircuts.

As funding has increased, we have provided hand sanitizer, dental-care kits and other hygiene items for students. Clean, used school uniforms also are distributed. The event is designed to be a positive, family-oriented experience, with face painting, balloons, clowns and prizes.

Our Volunteers
What started out as a small effort in 2002 now requires a small army of volunteers. Our volunteer board members work year-round to raise funds and promote our program. In the weeks prior to the give-away event, over a dozen volunteers work to pre-package the school supplies and coordinate the set up, and on the day of the give- away we typically have 50 to 60 volunteers on-site to handle traffic and crowd control, registration, lunch service, clean-up and actual distribution of the school supplies. We have some families where several generations are involved, and we have students who have been SSGA recipients in the past who have returned to help us.

Fundraising
The Tylers still collect spare change from their customers in a giant Coke bottle in their office, but SSGA’s fundraising efforts have expanded considerably over the years. Board members conduct an annual mail and phone solicitation campaign to local churches, businesses, service groups and individuals. Several local businesses and organizations have become consistent supporters, and we continue to seek new sources of income. “AAble 2 Stow It” sponsors chili/soup sales, raffles, car washes and yard sales, and sells donated items.
Now that SSGA has 501(c)(3) status, we have been able to expand our fundraising into new areas, seeking larger corporate or government contributions and grants. In 2012, we received a $5,000 grant from NIPSCO, and are working to obtain similar support from other companies or foundations. We also plan to establish a website that will allow us to accept online donations.

Our Plans for the Future
When funding allows, we hope to add a second give-away event during the winter months, where students can replenish supplies such as paper, pens, pencils, etc., and to provide vouchers to students for new school uniforms. We also are in discussions with the Gary Community School Corporation regarding how we could work with them to provide additional support to students and/or teachers. Our long-term goal is to ensure that ALL students in Gary are able to start the school year with everything they need and the confidence to succeed.