How to save on your YMCA membership and help local students

You might not be thinking about going back to school during the Fourth of July holiday, but you might want to if you'd like to save money on supplies.

The National Retail Federation shows almost 70% of shoppers typically plan their back-to-school shopping around sales events, like the Fourth of July, Labor Day, or Amazon’s Prime Day deals.

In fact, about 20% of people already started school supply shopping in June.

People spent $890 in 2023 for school supplies, according to the NRF.

That likely won’t change much, as the latest data shows inflation year over year in May for all items was up 3.3%.

The cost is out of reach for many families.

One in five can’t access basic school supplies, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. That jumps to 25% for children in low-income families.

The YMCA of Greater Cleveland is stepping up to help.

News 5 spoke with Tish Bowling, senior VP of Youth Development at the YMCA of Greater Cleveland, about the YMCA's new school-supply drive that kicks off Monday, July 1.

"We hope that we can put a little bit of hope in their heart by showing the scholars that there are people in the community who support them, and uplift them, and want to see them succeed," said Bowling.

Anyone can donate supplies at any branch of the Greater Cleveland YMCA.

As an incentive, if you join the YMCA this month and donate school supplies, the $100 joiner fee will be waived.

Cuyahoga County Division of Children and Family Services is also collecting school supplies.

Also, put this on your calendar. Ohio’s Sales Tax Holiday is longer this year, with 10 days set aside so you can buy eligible purchases of up to $500 without sales tax, both online and in-person.

It will be from July 30 through August 8.