Fill the Container for Savannah Students
The Savannah Impact Program (SIP) is planning a back-to-school party and invites the entire community to help through donations of school supplies, uniforms and non-perishable food for the annual Stuff the Container event.
SIP staff members have placed a GO Mini container outside their office at 1700 Drayton Street. Their goal is to fill that container to capacity with donated items. Donations will be received until July 31, then distributed to families in need on August 2 during SIP’s National Night Out event, one of the largest National Night Out events in the state.
“Gearing up for the new school year can be tough financially for some families, especially those with multiple kids,” said Cpl. Mark McCartha, organizer of this initiative. “We are trying to provide as many kids as we can with the necessary items. That’s why we need the entire community on board.”
SIP staff plans to make a party of it. They will kick off the school year with a cookout, where donated school supplies and uniforms will be made available to participants. Details on the event will be announced later.
“We depend on our staff, citizens, businesses and community groups to bring school supplies, from backpacks, to crayons, pencils and pens, paper, notebooks – things kids need to start off the school year prepared and confident,” McCartha said. “We take gently worn uniforms and shoes. We want back-to-school season to take less of a toll on the wallets of our local families.”
SIP also plans to provide bags of donated food items to the homeless. These bags also will include donated canned goods, hygiene products, toilet paper and other items.
Items can be dropped off at the SIP office from 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. each weekday. Donations may also be left at Savannah-Chatham Metropolitan Police Headquarters, located at 201 Habersham Street.
SIP is a specialized unit within the Savannah-Chatham Metropolitan Police Department, primarily focusing on high risk and at risk youth and adults. The SIP collaborative is comprised of sworn and civilian police personnel as well as numerous community supervision agencies to include the Georgia Department of Corrections, Board of Pardons and Parole, Chatham County Juvenile Court and the Department of Juvenile Justice. It is located at 1700 Drayton Street.
For more information, call SIP at (912) 651-4350.
