GearUp for School

GearUP

for School

A Gig Harbor Kiwanis program providing new school clothing

and supplies for elementary and middle-school students on the Key Peninsula

Our Partners

Gig Harbor Kiwanis Foundation, Angel Guild, Burrell Printing, Century Tel

Drs. Mayfield, Stadler, Ribery, and Wada

Fire District #16, Payless ShoeSource, Peninsula Light Company

Peninsual School District, Walgreens, JC Penny
WA Correction Center for Women

Research shows children who lack clean presentable clothes and the necessary school supplies are not able to focus on learning. These children are at risk for failing to gain the skills essential to pursuing a productive life.

       To help these children, our club launched Gear Up for School in 1997. Since then we have helped over 3,300 low-income children--from kindergarten through
8thgrade--start school ready to learn. We provide the students with a new set of clothing and grade-appropriate school supplies.   Gear Up for School has become the
                                     Gig Harbor Kiwanis Foundation’s signature program.
      In August, volunteers descend on the Key Peninsula Middle School to arrange hundreds of new pairs of jeans, shirts, socks, shoes, jackets, and backpacks. We also unload and organize truck loads of school supplies.   Finally, we bring in the bicycles, a product of our partnership with the Washington Correction Center for Women in Purdy. The joy on a child's face when he or she wheels out a bicycle is priceless.

The August 2009 GearUp GiveAway

Quote from Sharon Shaffer, Principal, KPMS

     Once again, it was heartwarming to witness the outpouring of kindness to the Key Peninsula community as you provided new clothes, bikes and school supplies for hundreds of struggling families.  I can not imagine the hours and energy you all have devoted to gather funding, purchasing, organization, set up, and the kind distribution of these gifts to families.  Your faces have become familiar to us; they are generous, smiling, supporting, and understanding faces—Familiar faces of service oriented Kiwanians.  For my community, I wish to say “thank you.”

     Thank you for the delight in the first grader’s eyes as she picked out that tiny pink t-shirt with a matching jacket.  Thank you for the 6th grade guy’s joy as he shouted to Grandma, “Hey, there’s a calculator in this bag for me!”  Thank you for the peace in so many mother and father’s faces as they left here this morning knowing that each of their children had a complete new outfit for the first day of school.  I see those same sweatshirts, jeans, t-shirts, and shoes throughout the year.

Quote from Terry Bouck, Superintendent, Peninsula School District.

     Schools alone cannot ensure success for every child and that is where the Kiwanis Club's contribution is so critical in coordinating resources and volunteers through the Gear Up Program. l The commitment and support of the Kiwanians is helping our youth to successfully learn, stay in school, and prepare for their future.