Menasha non-profit seeks support in school supply drive for families in need

The Menasha-based nonprofit Multicultural Coalition is giving out 150 backpacks complete with school supplies to lesser-fortunate children. They say it's in an effort to break community barriers.

• Leaders share their mission to make sure every child and their family can afford to go back to school
• They are calling for help from the community in an effort to meet the demands of the people they serve

(The following is a transcription of the full broadcast story, with additional information for the web)

Multicultural Communications Specialist Kyle Armstrong says for many families around the Fox Valley, back-to-school necessities are a luxury.

"The average Wisconsin family is paying $719 per child to get their kids ready. All the things that they need. So we are trying to alleviate that burden," Armstrong said.

To address this issue, the Multicultural Coalition decided to hold a back-to-school supply drive.

"What we have learned is that this is a barrier for many families. It is expensive," Armstrong said.

In addition to school supplies, the Multicultural Coalition is providing other essentials like food, clothes, information on vaccines, and even dental care.

"Tooth pain is actually the number one reason why kids miss school," Nkaoxue Summers of Try-County Dental said.

Tri-County Dental, which works closely with the coalition, brought dental care directly to the coalition’s front door on Tuesday.

"That barrier of transportation and preventative care for cleaning, it just helps kids in the long run stay more focused at school," Summers said.

Multicultural Coalition Executive Director Lisa Cruz explains that these efforts are aligned with the organization’s mission.

"In terms of who we serve and what we do at the Multicultural Coalition, we want to make sure people have free access, barrier-free access to the information they need," Cruz said.

While getting kids back to school is the coalition's top priority right now, they emphasize that it's not their only focus. The Multicultural Coalition accepts walk-in donations Wednesdays 10am-3pm, or other times by appointment. They also take online donations at here. .