Do You Know How Easy it is to Give Back to Kids in Need this Year with #BagitForward?

Pay it forward with the #BagitForward campaign

I’m not a teacher. And my little girl isn’t in school yet. But my mom was a teacher when I was a little girl, and I remember how much of a struggle it was for her to keep up with the expenses. And how unfair is that? You go into an occupation that’s all about helping others, knowing that you won’t make a huge income. But then to find out that you’ll also have to shell out a bunch of your own money each year to help out your students who’s parents can’t afford them, or the extra things that you need for projects that the school doesn’t supply. {Are you a teacher? Learn more about how Elmers supports teachers with their Teachers Club.} That’s why I am a huge fan of the Bag it Forward campaign – a super easy way to give back. Keep reading to learn a little more….

Bag it Forward with Elmers 1st Day App

The 1st Day App is available to be downloaded on Android and Apple smartphones using the posted QR codes located on the big in-store displays at Walmart, or by visiting www.the1stDay.com. It’s quick and easy to download. So – why should you take a minute to do even do it? Lemme tell ya …

For every photo uploaded, Elmers will donate one product to the Kids in Need Foundation {KINF} – up to 200,000 products. Awesome.

So what is it, exactly? It’s a super sweet app for parents and teachers, where you can easily store all of your favorite school year memories. Yes, you can use an app like Instagram for pics. A site like Facebook to share stories. But this is a fun app that lets you combine it all – teachers can look back at their fave memories from each year’s classes. And parents can capture those  sweet photos of walking their kids to their first day of school, along with class pics, report cards, and funny stories. Fun, right? And it’s fun that gives back too. So now the question becomes – why would you NOT get this app? {Want more info? Check out this great video here – Elmer’s – The Official Sponsor of the 1st Day of School.}

Walmart School Supply lists make back to school shopping simple

Watch for these in your own local Walmart – they’re a big display filled with all of the local school supply lists. Because heck, admit it moms – we’re not always on top of everything, am I right? So to help keep you from letting back to school shopping wait until the very last minute, you can just grab one of these next time you’re already shopping – instead of waiting for the school list to come in the mail. Love that. Because while I don’t have kids of my own in school, I do have a couple of live-in nephews that I shop for, so this was amazingly helpful for me this past week! {Want to see my Top 10 Back to School Must Haves?}

Walmart has quality school supplies for back to school

So – my goal while I was shopping was to stock up on a few of my own basics that I need all the time at the SUPER low prices Walmart has this time of year, and then to find a bunch of really fun and affordable goodies to make a donation for one of the kid’s teachers when school starts. I absolutely LOVED that there were super cheap basics – but there were also super sweet deals on “fun” type stuff, like fun stickers to decorate binders, fun pen and pencil sets, post-it’s, and more. Very cool selection this year. So I had a blast shopping for this project – and definitely filled up my cart! {Want to see my huge selection of goodies? See the whole shopping trip on Google+.} And check out Elmers.com for cool special offers to save even more.

Back to School is easier with Walmart

Another super sweet set of deals is on “colors” – crayons, markers, and colored pencils, and watercolor’s are all .25 to .50 cents each. It’s been awhile since I shopped for this stuff, and I was just blown away by what great deals there were on this stuff. So cool. But – as I stock up on notebooks and pens for myself, crayons for Abby, and supplies for this #BagitForward donation, and think about what a great deal I’m getting…. It just drives it home even more how sad it is that some familes can’t afford to get those same types of supplies for their kiddos. It just makes me even more glad that even on our tight budget, I have the ability to at least do this small part to help out with a donation basket for our local fave teacher. {Want cool ideas on how to use all of these great Elmers products? Check out this site filled with tips for busy parents.}

Paying it forward makes me smile

I hope that this post and info inspires you to pick up some extra supplies next time your shopping too. Seriously – at .15 cents to a couple bucks for bigger supplies, anyone can pick up a few extras to pay it forward to someone who needs it. Whether you share them with a local agency that helps low-income families, your fave school or teacher, or even a kiddo in your life who would appreciate a few extra things to make the school year a little easier – I can guarantee you that your gift is appreciated, and that it’s one of the most meaningful ways you can spend a few bucks.

Learn More:

Want to get involved? Of course you do – my readers rock! First – read more stories and find more info about this campaign by following the #BagitForward hashtag on Twitter. Then make sure to connect with Elmers on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.

{Disclaimer: I am a member of the Collective Bias™ Social Fabric® Community.  This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias™ and and Elmer’s.  #BagItForward #CBias #SocialFabric.}