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Click Here 33 °F Forecast | Road Cams Saturday, January 31, 2004 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA Newspaper in Education Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find a Rental Place an ad eSouthernOregon Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar CUSTOMER SERVICE Frequent Questions Advertising Information Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Network Affiliate Email Story to a Friend August 12, 2003 Purchasing school supplies can be expensive, as the Tarbell family has learned. Several area school supply drives aim to help families such as the Tarbells � including Crystle, 5, left, Joan, 11, Robert, 14, Denielle, 9, and Nikkita, 5 � with the expense Mail Tribune / Bob Pennell Student supplies add up Organizations begin donation drives to assist families get their children ready to go back By JONEL ALECCIA Mail Tribune With five kids heading to Medford classrooms this fall, Eric Tarbell could easily spend a week’s wages on school supplies. From paper and pencils to colored markers and calculators, the average American family expects to shell out $74.04 on supplies alone, according a survey from the National Retail Federation. If he spent that on each kid, Eric Tarbell would shudder to think of the total. "Oh, jeez," he says. "That’s a paycheck for Robyn." Advertisement Tarbell, 39, and his wife, Robyn, 36, both work fulltime. He’s a supervisor at the Mail Tribune; she’s a coordinator for Bear Creek Corp. Still, they’re among thousands of Rogue Valley working families who can’t quite squeeze school supplies out of already stretched budgets. To help the Tarbells and others, several local programs are seeking donations of items from backpacks to binders. At St. Vincent DePaul in Medford, organizer Bill Schueller expects to provide supplies for 1,300 low-income children this year. That’s about 300 more than last year in the program that started in 1991. Distribution begins Monday, Aug. 25, and lasts until the last ream of notebook paper is handed out, Schueller said. Amid the lingering effects of a shaky economy and uncertain statewide school funding, Schueller expects the need to be greater than ever. "It’s a tough year," he said. That thought was echoed at Providence Medford Medical Center, where a long-standing school supply program is under way. Last year, the Providence Back to School Supply Drive raised nearly $1,100 for five area elementary schools with high levels of low-income kids. Spokeswoman Deborah Elliott said the drive grew out of the hospital’s on-campus health clinics. "We identified children who needed dental care and health care and realized these same kids come to school without school supplies," Elliott said. "The school systems have been so hard hit, they don’t have it." This year, another school supply drive will aid area families. The Mail Tribune has joined with ACCESS Inc. of Medford and Umpqua Bank to collect donations of educational aids. "Our goal is to get supplies to the people who need them," said Ginnie Deason, Mail Tribune human resources manager. The donations will be distributed to schools throughout Jackson County, she said. Stephanie Johnson, principal at Washington Elementary School in Medford, said having access to necessary supplies can boost kids’ enthusiasm for academics. Children whose families can’t afford supplies are relieved when they receive donations, she said. "It just makes all the difference in the world when a kid gets a new box of crayons," she said. "Their eyes get so-so big." Having new school supplies will make the transition from summer to fall easier for the Tarbell kids. Robert, 14, says he’s kind of nervous about starting ninth grade at South Medford High School. Joan, 11, figures she’ll enjoy sixth-grade math at Jackson Elementary School, while 9-year-old Denielle lights up at the thought of fourth-grade art. The twins, Crystle and Nikkita, 5, don’t quite know what to expect from kindergarten. "They’re shy," Denielle explains. Whatever it takes, they’ll be ready for school, Eric Tarbell says. "We’ve never sent them to school without supplies," says Tarbell, who expressed gratitude for the St. Vincent DePaul program. "It would be like going to work without your arm." How to help To donate to the St. Vincent DePaul program or for information about distribution, call 772-3828. p To donate to the Providence Back to School Supply Drive, look for bins at the medical center and throughout the community. Call 732-5955. p To donate to the Mail Tribune / ACCESS / Umpqua Bank drive, look for bins at the following sites: The Mail Tribune, 111 N. Fir St., Medford. The Daily Tidings, 1661 Siskiyou Blvd., Ashland. The Nickel, 832 Crater Lake Ave., Medford. ACCESS Inc., 3630 Aviation Way, Medford. Local Umpqua Bank locations. For more information, call 776-4404. p Suggested donations include pencils, scissors, calculators, backpacks, highlighters, tissue, spiral notebooks, three-ring binders, colored markers, notebook paper and white glue or glue sticks. Reach reporter JoNel Aleccia at 776-4465, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2004 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback 3 WEEKS FREE! ADVERTISERS A D V E R T I S E R S RESOURCES Oregon Road Conditions & Cams SPECIAL SECTIONS Auto Finder Job Finder Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Since We Asked Food for Thought Wellness Connection Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Opportunities Prime Times