Elmer's #BagItForward for Back to School

So my mom calls the other day all excited. In between the bad cellphone connections and us over-talking one another, I manage to make out a few statements.

"School supplies?"
"At Wal-Mart?"
"Does he need?"

I repeatedly respond with, "No!," and she was completely in shock (or thought I was just trying to get her off the phone). Either way, I beat her to the punch...I mean school supply shopping.

I bet you're wondering why anyone in their right mind would start and/or complete their school shopping this far in advance. Most of you are still recovering from the school year that just ended. Many of you could care less if you see another pen, pencil, notebook, glue stick, or crayon again in your life. Others do not care one way or the other. But I'm here to tell you that now, more than ever, there is a reason to get in gear for this back-to-school season. 

As a member of the wonderful community, Collective Bias, I was given an amazing opportunity to participate in a campaign sponsored by Elmer's. The name of it is Bag It Forward.

From the About page on www.bagitforward.org:

What is Bag it Forward?

As students head back to school this fall, many will head out to shop for brand new, shiny school supplies. But some will not have the resources they need to be successful. That’s where you and Elmer’s come in. This year, let’s join together and Bag It Forward, by picking up an extra bag of school supplies and donating it locally in your community.

This summer, Elmer’s has teamed up with 50 bloggers to kickoff the Bag it Forward movement. These bloggers are gathering school supply bags for families or organizations of their choice, and encouraging others to join in.

In addition we are hosting Elmer’s Virtual Bag It Forward Donation. The virtual donation will begin on July 25. By simply sharing a virtual bag with a friend via blogs, we can work together to raise money for Adopt-A-Classroom.

Join us in the #BagItForward movement and give someone you know a bag of school supplies, real one or a virtual!

Together we can make a difference.

See, there are several ways you can get involved. Even if you don't have the money to purchase a few extra supplies for a child in need, you can always spread the word. I know firsthand how difficult it is to find extra money. This campaign not only enable our family to help out another family, it also helped us cut a lot of back-to-school costs.

We were able to purchase some great supplies.

Now, all that's left to do is to donate a bag full of supplies to a child in the community.

Check back for more information about the #BagItForward initiative. I will post my shopping trip on Whrrl.com tomorrow for you to check out.

Check out my article with The Capital, a local newspaper in Annapolis, MD. 

"It takes a whole village to raise a child." -African Proverb


**Attention Teachers**
X-ACTO is hosting a giveaway where you could win $250 in products for your classroom. Go here to enter.

Disclosure: I was given $100 to shop for supplies my family and another child thanks to Elmer's and Collective Bias. Opinions expressed are my own.