Realtors help out area students

Tomlinson Black Valley donated 150 book bags to the Spokane Valley Partners’ school supplies program on Thursday morning, helping the nonprofit get closer to its goal for 1,000 donated book bags to hand out to area children from low-income families.

Two trucks delivered the bags, a mixture of backpacks and tote bags, adding to the piles of backpacks and rows of school supplies in the room set up for distribution. About 950 bags have been donated, said program director Sharon Hengy.

Hengy estimated that the program has already served 500 to 600 students, and school supplies will continue to be offered to families until the end of the month, but families who preregistered for the supplies program get priority.

To preregister, families had to attend a free life-skills class. Class topics include parenting, relationships, money management, fighting germs, children’s health and how to help children succeed in school.

Registration was not as high as expected, but the most popular session was “how to help children succeed in school,” which were focused on math, reading and problem-solving skills. Last year about 1,500 children were reregistered. Hengy estimates that this year will be closer to 1,000 to 1,200.

Tomlinson Black has been donating backpacks to the program for the past five years.

“We like to keep things within the Valley community and help the people in our area,” said Cindy Calvert, the company’s office manager.

Normally, the real estate company donates 100 backpacks, but this year it made extra fundraising efforts to buy an additional 50 backpacks, she said.

In June, the company had a yard sale in its parking lot and sold old office furniture and items real estate agents brought from home. Agents also made cash donations, which Tomlinson Black matched.

Spokane Valley Partners is still collecting donations. Any supplies left over from the program will be used for other programs within the organization.