There are things that we all remember about going “back to school” in the fall: the excitement, the anticipation and the new school supplies and school clothes. These are not the same things that the children at Joshua House remember when they think of a new school year. Before coming to Joshua House, many of our children did not ever have new clothes – or clothes that fit properly, leading them to feel embarrassed; some of them remember looking forward to school starting again because they would get two meals every day and some think of school as a refugee from abuse. There are even children who have never attended school before living at Joshua House. Their experiences are very different from what most of us remember. The good news is that Joshua House is making a difference in so many ways – and because of that, school means something different now. We provide our children with nutritious meals, outdoor activities, tutoring after school and our Earn to Learn program, which gives rewards for attendance and grades. School supplies and clothing are necessary in order for our children to be successful in school. However, it means so much more. New school supplies and school clothes help make our children feel worthy – and they are! Our children are in foster care through no fault of their own and one of the things that we try to do is make them understand that they ARE worthy of love and happiness, education and knowledge, and a long, happy life.
Thank you for your continued support!
SCHOOL SUPPLY LIST
School Uniforms & Clothing (see list below)
Backpacks - large sturdy backpacks for teens
String bags – large & sturdy
White-out tape
Mini Hand Sanitizers
Small packets of tissues (for backpacks)
Scotch tape
Thumb drives
Copy paper
Ear buds (for test taking)
Dry Erase Markers
Red, black & blue pens
Sticky-Notes
3" 3-ring binders - heavy duty
3-ring tab dividers
Highlighters – all colors
Markers - Crayola and Sharpie
Calculators
Pre-sharpened pencils
Colored Pencils – 12 packs
3 & 5 subject "5-Star" brand notebooks
Rain ponchos – Child Sizes Large & XL and adult sizes: S - XXL
SCHOOL UNIFORMS:
BOYS:
Polo Shirts: Unisex sizes S-XL , Navy only (Young Men’s sizes, not children’s sizes)
Polo Shirts: Boys sizes Large & XL – Navy only
Khaki Shorts: Boys sizes 12 through Men’s 32 waist
Khaki Pants: Boys sizes 8 through Men’s 32 waist
Larger sizes are most needed
GIRLS:
Polo Shirts: Unisex sizes S-XL , Navy only (Youth/Juniors to Women’s sizes, not children’s sizes)
Polo shirts: Girl’s sizes: Large & XL – Navy only
Khaki Shorts: Junior sizes 1-16
Khaki Pants: Junior Sizes 1-16 (Skinny fit preferred)
Sizes most needed: Junior's 7, 9, 11 & 13
PERSONAL UNDERCLOTHES FOR ALL YOUTH AGES 6-17:
GIRLS: Junior and ladies sized bikini, hipster or boy brief style underwear S-XL
Bras of all sizes
Sports bras S-XL,
No show socks - ladies sizes, any color
BOYS: Boxer briefs, men sizes from S-XL and boys sizes M, L & XL
Black socks in men's sizes – any style
CLICK HERE for a printable list of Back to School items needed!
We appreciate your support of the children at Joshua House.
GIFT CARDS FOR HIGH SCHOOL TEENS TO SHOP ON THEIR OWN!
Gift cards help these teens make personal choices about their wardrobe, GCs from area malls (Wiregrass, Westfield Malls, and University Square Mall), Visa/MC/Amex gift cards, Ross, Marshalls, TJ Maxx, etc. Looking for a specific list of children to shop for and their sizes? Please visit the Sign Up Genius link below. SIGN UP GENIUS!
DROP-OFF LOCATIONS:
Five Labs Building
4115 West Spruce St.
Tampa, FL 33607
M–F 8 am–5 pm
Scraporium
16518 N. Florida Avenue
Lutz, FL 33549
M–F 10 am–6 pm Sat 10 am–5 pm
LazyDays: The RV Authority
6130 Lazydays Blvd
Seffner, FL 33584
M–Sat 8 am–5 pm Sun 12 pm–5 pm
Joshua House Donation Center
1515 Michelin Court
Lutz, FL 33548
M–F 8:30 am–5 pm
Pinellas and Pasco County Drop Off Locations:
Lucas l Magazine
For locations, please visit www.lucasmagazine.com
Don't like to shop, but ready to help?
$300 will buy school clothes, one pair of shoes and school supplies for one child.
$250 will buy school clothes and one pair of shoes for one child.
$50 will pay for a backpack and school supplies for one child
To make a donation, please use the School Supply Drive Donation button above on the right.
Or you can send a check to:
Friends of Joshua House Foundation, Inc.
PO Box 26333, Tampa, FL 33623
Please mark your gift as School Supplies.