'First Day Fund' hands out supplies to needy students

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) - Organizers of Springfield's "First Day Fund" had 1,500 backpacks full of school supplies to hand out last weekend in anticipation of the opening of school.

Needy pupils from kindergarten through 12th grade are eligible for supplies in the annual event. Public schools open Aug. 22.

The (Springfield) State Journal-Register reported (http://bit.ly/2bsWtpe ) that the First Day Fund spent about $14,000 on the packages.

Dianna Rodgers of Springfield is caregiver for her niece, a kindergartner. She says families spend money this time of year on shoes, haircuts and enough clothes to get kids through a week of school days. She says families with more than one child are very hard-hit.

Supplies varied by age - from crayons for the youngest to spiral notebooks for the older.

___

Information from: The State Journal-Register, http://www.sj-r.com